British woman admits role in global monkey torture network

A British woman has pleaded guilty to being part of a global monkey torture network.

Holly LeGresley, 37, from Kidderminster in Worcestershire, admitted uploading 22 images and 132 videos of monkeys being tortured to an online chat group.

She was charged after an investigation by the BBC into the torture of monkeys overseas. The investigation exposed a global network involving a private online group paying people in Indonesia to kill and torture baby monkeys on video.

The BBC said LeGresley used the username “The Immolator” and ran a poll for members of the group on which method of torture should be inflicted upon an infant monkey.

LeGresley pleaded guilty to charges of publishing obscene articles and intentionally encouraging animal cruelty at Worcester magistrates court on Tuesday.

The court heard West Mercia police charged LeGresley after being informed by the National Wildlife Crime Unit, a UK police department.

A second defendant, Adriana Orme, 55, of Ryall, near Upton-upon Severn, Worcestershire, did not indicate any plea to similar charges.

The court was told the women had “not carried out monkey torture themselves”.

The prosecutor, Angela Hallan, told the court LeGresley had been charged after being identified as having been part of online chat groups, after the BBC was involved in “exposing the trade”.

Orme is alleged to have published an obscene article by uploading one image and 26 videos of monkey torture between 14 April and 16 June 2022, and to have encouraged or assisted the commission of unnecessary suffering by making a £10 payment to a PayPal account on 26 April 2022.

LeGresley, who left court in a face mask, admitted uploading images of monkey torture between 25 March and 8 May 2022, and making a payment of £17.24 to a PayPal account to encourage cruelty on 25 April of the same year.

LeGresley will be sentenced on 7 June. The case against Orme was transferred to the crown court, where she was ordered to appear on 5 June.

• PA Media contributed to this report