Ohio man charged in connection to monkey torture
Editor’s note: Details in this story are disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
WASHINGTON (WJW) — An Ohio man is one of two people charged in connection with an online group dedicated to videos depicting extreme violence and sex abuse against monkeys.
Nicholas T. Dryden, of Ohio, and Giancarlo Morelli, of New Jersey, were charged with conspiracy to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
Dryden is also charged with the creation, production and distribution of the videos and sexual abuse of children.
According to court documents, Dryden paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the acts against a monkey on camera.
The videos included depictions of monkeys having their genitals burned, having their genitals cut with scissors, being sodomized with a wooden skewer and being sodomized with a spoon.
Dryden faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the charges related to the creation and distribution of animal crush videos each carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, and the charges of producing and distributing depictions of the sexual abuse of children each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.