COLUMBUS, OH – A New Jersey man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiring to purchase and distribute violent videos depicting the torture and mutilation of monkeys, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, admitted to paying for the creation of animal crush videos through online groups dedicated to sharing extreme abuse. Prosecutors said he bought 19 such videos from Nicholas T. Dryden, who ran forums where buyers commissioned and traded clips of animals being tortured.

According to court records, Dryden paid a minor in Indonesia to produce the videos, which showed baby and adolescent monkeys suffering severe abuse, including mutilation. Morelli not only purchased the videos but also provided feedback and suggestions for future productions, pr

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