On March 2, 2026, a Miami man stood in federal court and admitted he had distributed dozens of videos that prosecutors say show monkeys being brutally tortured for sexual gratification. The guilty plea caps a federal investigation that traced the clips through encrypted chat groups where users allegedly bought, sold and traded the disturbing footage. The case is one of only a handful of federal prosecutions using the animal-crush statute to go after online markets built around this material.
Francisco Javier Ravelo pleaded guilty to a single count of distributing animal crush videos and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, according to Miami Herald. The plea paperwork was signed by federal prosecutors Emily Stone and Brooke Latta, and defense attorney Michael Mirer told the judge Ravelo had decided to change his plea.
As outlined by U.S. Department of Justice, prosecutors filed an information in October 2025 alleging that Ravelo distributed roughly 40 videos between September 2024 and February 2025. Homeland Security Investigations led the probe and helped track the clips and related chatroom activity described in the charging documents.
What prosecutors say the videos show
In court filings, prosecutors describe some of the videos as graphically violent, alleging that one clip shows a soldering iron inserted into a monkey’s anus and that other footage depicts burning, pinching and sexualized mutilation, according to Miami Herald. The documents say Ravelo acquired and circulated the material in encrypted Telegram groups, using usernames that included "Tony F---ing Montana," and warned group members not to re-share the evidence.
Federal law and potential penalties
Federal law criminalizes the creation and distribution of so-called "animal crush" videos and sets a maximum penalty of seven years in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 48, per U.S. Code. The statute, which was strengthened by the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, targets obscene videos that depict animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.
Part of a broader enforcement push
Prosecutors and federal investigators have been ramping up enforcement in this niche but gruesome corner of online crime. A Justice Department press release in May 2025 announced indictments tied to a network that allegedly produced and distributed monkey-torture videos, signaling that investigators are pursuing both those who create the material and those who help it spread. The Ravelo case is the second South Florida prosecution to spotlight the animal-crush statute in this region and is part of multi-district enforcement activity, officials say.
Ravelo remains free on a $100,000 bond under conditions that prohibit him from using Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, according to court records. At his May 21, 2026, sentencing hearing, the judge will decide whether he serves time in prison and what combination of fines or supervised release he may face.
