Michael Macartney, 50, confessed to the BBC his role in an extreme monkey torture network.

A ringleader in a global monkey torture network exposed by the BBC has been charged by US federal prosecutors.

Michael Macartney, 50, who went by the alias “Torture King”, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute animal-crushing videos.

Mr Macartney was one of three key distributors identified by the BBC Eye team during a year-long investigation into sadistic monkey torture groups.

Two women have also been charged in the UK following the investigation.

Warning: This article contains disturbing content

Mr Macartney, a former motorcycle gang member who previously spent time in prison, ran several chat groups for monkey torture enthusiasts from around the world on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

  • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
    22·
    7 months ago

    Well, aesthetically there is a perception of “states’ rights” which doesn’t feel so ghoulish. I live in Russia, so outright racism is both less visible and more casual here, and I don’t have most of emotional and social associations with this flag Americans have.

    Point being - there’s “Firefly” series, there are Jabiim rebels in Star Wars (and a few other “bad guys against the Republic” groups which them became “good guys against the Empire”), and maybe something else definitely using the association with Confederates in a kinda positive way.

    EDIT: I mean, in his case it’s just that cowards usually feel the need to use symbols associated with toughness for them. Or torture animals.