A New Jersey man was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for conspiring to create and distribute “animal crush” videos depicting the torture and sexual abuse of monkeys, according to prosecutors.

Federal investigators said Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, on 19 occasions paid for videos that showed extreme acts of cruelty toward baby and adolescent monkeys — and even suggested new forms of abuse.

If you pay others to torture animals or to share images of that horrific abuse, you can expect to be held accountable as if you committed the torture firsthand,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio said in a news release. “Today’s sentence shows our resolve to punish everyone who participates in these despicable and sadistic conspiracies.”

Prosecutors said Morelli, who was sentenced in September, also kept up “an extensive correspondence” with the person who was supplying him with the videos, allegeding that he shared feedback on the content of the videos, as well as offered suggestions for future videos.

The videos allegedly included depictions of baby and adolescent monkeys being tortured, including having their genitals burned and cut off, having their genitals cut with scissors, being sodomized with a wooden skewer, and being sodomized with a spoon.

In 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Morelli was charged with “conspiracy to create and distribute so-called ‘animal crush videos,’ and with distributing animal crush videos.”

Morelli pleaded guilty in connection to the case in January. Four months later, 11 other people were indicted in in relation to the case, USA Today reported.

Citing a copy of the criminal judgment, PEOPLE noted that Morelli’s sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. He will also be fined $25,000, according to the media outlet.

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The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys in this case are beyond disturbing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Lawson of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our Department of Justice partners, those involved in the creation and distribution of these repulsive animal torture videos are being held accountable for their criminal actions.”