Bronx resident David Mosley, 27, has pleaded guilty in Bronx Supreme Court to aggravated cruelty to animals for the death of a cat whose images he posted online, closing a chapter in a case that has outraged animal advocates for months. The uproar began after graphic photos and videos surfaced in October 2025, sparking viral condemnation and protests that followed Mosley to multiple court appearances. After entering his plea on Friday, he was taken into custody to await sentencing.
According to the New York Daily News, Mosley, who performed under the alias “Church of Ububal,” entered the plea before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Laurence Busching. Prosecutors said his supervised release was revoked on the spot and he was remanded to Rikers Island. They noted that he faces up to two years behind bars on the aggravated cruelty charge.
Prosecutors' timeline and evidence
The Bronx District Attorney's Office laid out a timeline built from social media posts, video footage and forensic testing. Investigators say a photo posted on October 11 showed Mosley with a live cat, and an October 22 image showed what appeared to be the same animal lying motionless in a pool of blood. Surveillance video, prosecutors say, captured Mosley carrying the cat into his Fordham North apartment on October 9.
Detectives searched Mosley’s apartment on October 29 and recovered dried biological material, according to the DA’s release. An ASPCA forensic veterinarian later determined the substance to be feline blood, a finding that prosecutors have cited as key physical evidence in the case.
Outrage, protests and watchdog pressure
Animal rescuers and neighbors say they pushed police to act after the disturbing posts began circulating widely online and ignited anger across the borough. Several advocates showed up repeatedly at Mosley’s court hearings to demand accountability, according to News 12.
PETA’s team-action leader Rachel Ejsmont told the New York Daily News that the group has no plans to ease up now that Mosley has admitted guilt, and that it will continue applying pressure on the district attorney’s office as the case moves toward sentencing.
What the law allows
Under New York’s Agriculture and Markets Law, section 353-a, aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony. A conviction carries a definite prison term that cannot exceed two years, even in especially graphic or disturbing cases. Lawmakers have periodically debated whether that cap should be raised for particularly depraved acts of cruelty. For the exact statutory language and recent legal commentary, see FindLaw’s summary of the statute.
Next steps
The Bronx District Attorney’s Office said the case is being handled by Major Case Assistant District Attorney Melanie Smith of the Investigations Division, under the supervision of the Special Investigations Bureau. The office publicly thanked NYPD investigators and the ASPCA forensic veterinarian for their roles in building the case.
Advocates, who have followed the proceedings closely since the first images surfaced, say they plan to keep tracking court filings and the calendar as Mosley awaits sentencing under the state’s animal cruelty statute.
