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.

  • dumbass@lemy.lol
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    7 months ago

    Can we bring in eye for an eye executions? Like not for everyone but when you’re such a horrible disgusting soulless monster and you do something on the level of this, can we do the same to them, slowly.

    Simple execution or jail doesn’t seem fitting for people like this.

    • MilitantVegan@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Eye for an eye has been obsoleted by better moral views for ages. The last thing we need is more moral regression.

    • PoliticalAgitator@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      No. It does nothing to prevent these crimes from happening (let alone undo the damage) and you can’t say “this act is immoral and worthy of deliberately slow, cruel death… unless I do it then it’s fine”. It’s nothing more than bloodlust, leaving you with more in common with people buying monkey torture videos than with a genuinely good person.

    • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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      7 months ago

      Eh, I wouldn’t want to lower myself to the standards of a horrible POS.

    • aidan@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Why not? I mean like, personally not a fan of monkey torture, but I also eat pigs so idk if what I do is that much better.