Arizona man pleads guilty for his involvement in 'animal crush' videos: DOJ
(previous report): Arizona man arrested for involvement in monkey torture
Ernest Chavez is accused of paying a man who then paid a child in Indonesia to commit brutal acts against monkeys and send videos back to the U.S.
PHOENIX - An Arizona man is among four people who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for his involvement in monkey torture videos.
What we know:
The U.S. Department of Justice said on Oct. 23 that Ernest Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called "animal crush" videos that depict extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
Last year, the DOJ announced that Chavez was among 11 people indicted in connection to the torture videos. Three other people in Connecticut and North Carolina also pleaded guilty.
What we don't know:
Authorities did not say when Chavez will be sentenced.
Dig deeper:
The DOJ says court documents show the suspects used Telegram "to gather online and discuss topics for upcoming torture videos."
"The conspirators would then funnel money to individuals in Indonesia willing to carry out requested acts of torture on camera using various online payment applications," the DOJ said.
An Ohio man who authorities say was one of the sources of the videos was previously sentenced to 108 months in prison.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from an Oct. 23, 2026 news release by the U.S. Department of Justice.