A ringleader in a global monkey torture network exposed by the BBC has been charged by US federal prosecutors.

Michael Macartney, 50, who went by the alias “Torture King”, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute animal-crushing videos.

Mr Macartney was one of three key distributors identified by the BBC Eye team during a year-long investigation into sadistic monkey torture groups.

Two women have also been charged in the UK following the investigation.

Warning: This article contains disturbing content

Mr Macartney, a former motorcycle gang member who previously spent time in prison, ran several chat groups for monkey torture enthusiasts from around the world on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

  • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Well I am shocked that a person like this would be A Trump supporter and love the Confederacy. /s

    He should be up for now than 5 years. This is completely fucked.

      • AWistfulNihilist@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        LMAO, they’ll call him a legitimate businessman running a legitimate business, why is the government getting in the way of a stand-up American’s monkey-torture distribution network!

      • Zahille7@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        With motherfuckin Ice Cube on a T-shirt that’s hanging on the wall, too. Says “Boyz N Da Hood” and everything.

        What song of his do you think this POS likes?

    • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That CAT shirt isn’t a good look either. That company is full of sadistic fuckers. They’ll probably promote him for this.

    • ABCDE@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      He didn’t do the actual stuff though, he got people in Indonesia to do it.

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          8 months ago

          Okay? People in the comments are talking as if he’s the one doing the torturing and killing.

          • hime0321@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            I think you are projecting. I don’t see that anywhere. Just people saying that the sentence should be longer. Which it should be. It should be considered as something like federal trafficking with a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years. I bet they would have sentenced him with more than 5 years if it was CP he was trafficking.

            • ABCDE@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Why would you think that? I’m not interested if you think I’m discussing in bad faith.

              • hime0321@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                Yeah, I’m the one arguing in bad faith. This is exactly why I think you are projecting.

                • ABCDE@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  I didn’t say that. No interest whatsoever in your pisspoor understanding and attempt at using words you do not know how to use.

                  • hime0321@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    Lol that’s actually really funny. I know exactly what I said and why. I don’t think you have the reading comprehension to actually understand my words and attempts at using them.

          • BreakDecks@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            The comment you originally responded to didn’t say that he did the torturing himself, so your unsolicited response that “he didn’t do the actual stuff though” absolutely comes across as an attempt to minimize the things that he is accused of doing according to the article.

            That sounds like a defense to me. You think we should give him slack because of his distance to the violence he was orchestrating.

        • ABCDE@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          In that case he received the same sentence as Atkins, death, commuted to life. Good example, although he was more directly involved due to proximity.

      • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Which adds a while other level of hypocrisy. Why can’t he have good ol’ Americans do the job? Are they not good enough for him?

        Also don’t care that he did not directly do it. He was facilitating it and it would not have happened on the same scale without his help. So in essence, he absolutely caused the torture of monkeys. Should someone who goes a hitman not be charged with anything? The hit man isn’t killing the victim without pay so obviously the person hiring one should be charged.

      • steeznson@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Wow! When you put it that way he’s basically a political prisoner. BRB going to set up a gofundme for this sweet misunderstood angel.