Illinois woman receives prison sentence for funding and sharing animal abuse videos.
An Illinois woman has been sentenced to more than two and a half years in federal prison for paying others to create monkey abuse video collections showing the torture and mutilation of monkeys and sharing the recordings online. Amanda Leigh Fourez, of Catlin, Illinois, received a 31-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Fourez pleaded guilty in April to distributing videos showing extreme cruelty to animals and taking part in a plan to create and share such material. Federal court records show that she paid thousands of dollars to have videos made to her specific requests. She later shared the recordings with others through online groups and private payment networks devoted to violent and sexually abusive content involving monkeys.
The monkey abuse video collection showed severe acts of abuse against both young and adult monkeys. Court records described acts that included burning the animals and mutilating their genitals. The online groups brought together people who paid for, traded, and discussed recordings of the abuse. Fourez’s role involved both funding the creation of videos and spreading them to others within these networks. During the sentencing hearing, the court rejected Fourez’s request for a lighter sentence. The judge pointed to the extreme violence shown in the recordings and the intense suffering endured by the animals, sating the punishment should serve as a warning to others who might take part in similar crimes.
The case falls under federal law that bans the creation and sharing of certain videos showing extreme cruelty to animals. Known as the Animal Crush statute, the law allows federal authorities to pursue criminal charges against people involved in producing or distributing covered material. The DOJ said the case reflects ongoing efforts to investigate online groups that pay for and circulate recordings of animal abuse.
Investigators also identified other people involved in the network. Joseph Garrett Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to create and distribute animal cruelty videos. His sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2027. His case is part of the wider investigation into the people who helped arrange and share the recordings.
Federal officials said the investigation required cooperation between several law enforcement offices. Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Energy and Natural Resources Division, said authorities would continue pursuing people involved in this type of conduct. He also credited Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on the case.
Matt Wright, a special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, also addressed the case. He said the online networks involved in the abuse were a focus of ongoing law enforcement efforts. Investigators will continue working with other agencies to identify people who arrange, fund, and share these recordings, including those operating across national borders. Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans led the investigation through its Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations team. Emily R. Stone, a trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyssa Angotti and Kelly M. Locher of the Western District of Pennsylvania handled the prosecution.
The case shows how online payment systems and private chat groups can be used to fund and spread recordings of animal abuse. Federal authorities continue to investigate people who commission such material, distribute it, or help connect buyers with those who create it. Fourez’s prison term and supervised release are intended to punish her actions and discourage others from taking part in similar crimes.
Sources:
Woman sentenced in ongoing ‘animal crush’ case involving torture of monkeys
Vermilion Co. woman sentenced 31 months for creating, sharing monkey torture videos
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