A woman has admitted uploading 22 images and 132 videos of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups. Holly LeGresley was told that "all options" would be available at her sentencing hearing next month after she pleaded guilty to separate charges of publishing obscene articles and intentionally encouraging animal cruelty.
Prosecutor Angla Hallan told the court: "The Crown submit that due to the unusual legal, procedural and factual complexity of this particular case, that the matter would not be suitable to be dealt with in these courts." A second defendant, Adriana Orme, 55, of The Beeches, Ryall, near Upton-upon Severn, also Worcestershire, did not indicate any plea to similar charges. The court was told the women had "not carried out monkey torture themselves".
LeGresley, who left court without comment, admitted uploading images of monkey torture between March 25 and May 8, 2022, and made a payment of £17.24 to a PayPal account to encourage cruelty on April 25 of the same year. Although details of the BBC's undercover investigation were not given in court, a BBC Eye inquiry led to at least 20 people being placed under investigation globally last year.