A Massachusetts man was sentenced this month to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service for his role in an online conspiracy that produced and distributed videos depicting extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals, according to the federal prosecutors.
Garrett Fitzgerald of Scituate pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos,” according to court records.
Prosecutors said Fitzgerald conspired with Ronald Bedra, Robert Berndt, and others to finance the production of the videos by sending money through encrypted communications to individuals in Indonesia.
The videos, which depicted the torture of baby and adult monkeys, were then shared among members of the online groups and distributed over the internet.
Berndt was sentenced last month to 38 months in federal prison. Bedra previously received a 54-month sentence.
Federal authorities said the case reflects ongoing efforts to dismantle international networks involved in the creation and distribution of animal exploitation material.