Kentucky man sentenced for animal torture videos that killed young monkey
A Richmond man was sentenced to prison this month for conspiracy to create and distribute videos of animal torture, including one that killed a monkey.
Kendall Glenn Hacker, 32, was sentenced May 12 to 2 1/2 years in prison by United District Court Judge Danny Reeves, and Hacker will be supervised for three years upon his release.
Hacker was part of a ring that paid people outside the U.S. to create what’s known as “animal crush” videos, which show animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated or otherwise seriously injured, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Between November 2021 and August 2022, Hacker sent money via online payment applications to group chats with co-conspirators for the purpose of creating, funding and sharing the videos.
Hacker pleaded guilty Feb. 7 to one charge of conspiracy to create and distribute the torture videos.
Pam Ledgewood, Hacker’s attorney, was not immediately available for comment Thursday morning.
One video on Hacker’s phone showed the torture of a young monkey using a jar of ants, and then the monkey was sexually assaulted with an object that caused its death.
Hacker and others complimented the video and discussed giving a bonus to the videographer.
Hacker messaged, “Nice!” and said he loved how it was made, according to his plea.
One of Hacker’s co-conspirators, Michael Macartney, of Virginia, pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced in October to three years and four months in prison, according to documents in his case.
“Michael Macartney and his co-conspirators produced a collection of videos displaying abhorrent acts of animal torture that can only be described as evil,” Derek W. Gordon, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said when Macartney pleaded guilty.
