Central Oregon resident who moved to Henderson, Nev. charged with 50 videos of despicable acts of ‘torture, sexually sadistic mutilation and murder’ of juvenile monkeys
Washington, D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action issued a statement on federal charges brought against a man who moved between Oregon and Nevada and allegedly made as many as 50 “animal crush videos,” mainly depicting the torture and killing of monkeys. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, worked with former U.S. Representative Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., and former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., to pass this law in 2010 making it a federal felony to make videos involving the torture of animals and then to distribute them through on-line channels. That law was strengthened in 2019, forbidding the underlying acts of cruelty rather than just the sale of videos, when the Congress passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act. The 2019 law creates a more comprehensive federal anti-cruelty law.
David Noble, 48, was charged Wednesday with conspiring “with others to view, encourage, and fund animal crush videos as part of an online group using an encrypted chat application,” prosecutors said, citing Homeland Security Investigations agents’ work.
About 50 videos were in his possession when he moved from Oregon to Henderson, showing “torture, sexually sadistic mutilation and murder” of juvenile and adult monkeys. This case underscores the importance of having a federal law to address animal crushing, since the alleged perpetrator tried to stay one step ahead of the law by moving from Oregon to Nevada. A federal law against animal crushing makes torturing monkeys for videos a crime everywhere in the United States.
Noble is currently being held in prison and will face a status conference on June 28. He faces up to seven years in prison for animal abuse.
Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, issued the following statement:
“It’s hard to imagine that there’s market for videos showing the torture of monkeys and other animals. But a bizarre and emotionally disturbed subculture of people enjoy watching the torment of animals and profits who others who buy these macabre products. It’s obvious why the producers and the consumers of these videos are a menace to society. This kind of torture is a marker for a loss of empathy, and it’s a small step for people who torture animals to commit violent acts against people.”