Woman admits uploading 132 videos of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups

A British woman has admitted uploading more than a hundred videos of monkeys being tortured online.

Holly LeGresley, 37, from Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to posting 132 videos and 22 images of abuse while a member of an online chat group Torture Killing.

She was charged by West Mercia Police following a BBC investigation into the torture of monkeys overseas.

Although details of the case were not given in court, an inquiry led to at least 20 people being placed under investigation globally last year.

The probe concerned a global monkey torture network involving a private online group paying people in Indonesia to kill and torture the baby animals on video.

LeGresley also admitted ‘encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence’ by sending money to a PayPal account.

LeGresley stood next to co-defendant Adriana Orme in the glass-backed dock.

The women were both freed on conditional bail ahead of an appearance before Worcester Crown Court next month. They were ordered not to have unsupervised contact with any animal or child.

Ms Orme, 55, of The Beeches, Ryall, Worcestershire, did not indicate any plea to similar charges.

The court was told the women had “not carried out monkey torture themselves”.

Prosecutor Angla Hallan told the court, during the 30-minute-long hearing, that police investigated alongside the National Worldwide Crime Unit.

She added: “On examination of their devices hundreds of videos in relation to torture of abuse of monkeys was found and evidence they had bought them with a PayPal account.”

Although she did not open detailed facts of the case, Ms Hallan said the alleged conduct fell into the category of “sadism and high harm”.

Ms Orme will appear at Worcester crown court on June 5. LeGresley will be sentenced there on June 7.