Man detained after online torture posts showing ‘deliberate and gratuitous suffering of…’

September 25, 2024, 6:59 p.m.

A Liverpool man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting publishing an article online depicting the torture of monkeys.

Peter Stanley, 42, from Knotty Ash, was arrested following the broadcast of a BBC documentary called ‘The Monkey Haters’, which revealed the existence of streaming videos depicting the torture of baby monkeys.

Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, said: “We are very grateful to Merseyside Police for taking this action against the posting of monkey torture videos on Facebook.

“Those who spread graphic and obscene content depicting the violent and sadistic torture and killing of baby monkeys must know that their behavior is not only abhorrent, but a crime. We sincerely hope that this prosecution and punishment will have an important deterrent effect on others.

“We also hope that this prosecution serves as a wake-up call to Meta and other social media companies that continue to allow this highly disturbing and graphic content to be published on their platforms.”

The videos, mostly filmed in Southeast Asia and posted on the Internet, show the “disciplining” and torture of captive baby monkeys and the deliberate infliction of pain and fear, resulting in both physical and psychological suffering.

Investigations into the release of these videos led to police across the UK identifying individuals and other police forces launching criminal investigations.

This is the first time this type of prosecution has taken place in the Northwest.

Stanley, 42, of Dovecot Avenue, pleaded guilty to three counts of publishing an obscene article and was sentenced to 20 months in prison when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court.

Sergeant Dan Goss, of Merseyside Police’s Rural, Wildlife and Heritage Team, said: “The original investigation uncovered the widespread distribution of content depicting the deliberate and gratuitous suffering of baby monkeys for ‘entertainment’, some of which was also for financial gain.

“As part of a similar investigation conducted by West Mercia Police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, we were able to identify Stanley as the person responsible for publishing similar content. The Rural, Wildlife and Heritage Team subsequently conducted an investigation which led to the arrest and prosecution of Peter Stanley, who was today sentenced to 20 months in prison.

“We have worked closely with our colleagues at the National Wildlife Crime Unit on this investigation and will continue to identify and arrest anyone who chooses to share such content online.”

Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “The discovery of the global online torture networks required local, national and international resources, including officers and detectives from the UK and special agents from the US Department of Homeland Security, to solve the case.”

“These crimes are committed by so-called ‘communities’ behind a cloak of secrecy and I hope the verdict shows that there is no place for animal abusers to hide. I would like to thank Merseyside Police for their swift and forceful action in this case which has brought Mr Stanley to justice.”