Florida man pleads guilty to distributing videos of monkey sexual torture

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday that a Florida resident pleaded guilty to showing videos of monkey sexual abuse.

“ICE INVESTIGATION LEADS TO GUILTY PLEA IN MONKEY SEXUAL TORTURE CASE,” ICE wrote on the social media platform, X.

Earlier this month, Francisco Javier Ravelo pleaded guilty to distributing videos of adult and baby monkeys being mutilated and physically tortured, according to an ICE investigation.

“Ravelo created and administered online chat groups dedicated to torturing monkeys — in violation of the federal animal crushing statute,” ICE said.

The agency said that Ravelo personally distributed over 40 videos of the sexual abuse and torture of the monkeys.

“This case is deeply disturbing,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. “As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags.”

Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

“Our team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations. “We are grateful for the collaboration that brought this case to resolution and Ravelo to justice.”