Kidderminster woman pleads guilty to sharing videos of tortured monkeys after global investigation

A woman has admitted uploading 22 images and 132 videos of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups.

Holly LeGresley, of Baldwin Road, Kidderminster, was told that "all options" would be available to her at sentencing, after the court recommended the case go to Worcester Crown Court.

It is alleged that LeGresley, and a second defendant Adriana Orme, 55, of The Beeches, Ryall, near Upton-upon Severn, both encouraged and assisted others in torturing monkeys online.

Afterwards, the court heard that both women would share footage and images of monkeys being tortured, although it was also said that the women had "not carried out monkey torture themselves".

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

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.

Prosecutor Angla Hallan said LeGresely's behaviour fell into the category of “sadism and high harm”.

West Mercia Police charged LeGresley, the court heard, after being informed by the national wildlife crime unit.

Adriana Orme did not indicate any plea to similar charges.

The case against Orme was transferred to the Crown Court, where she was ordered to appear on June 5.

LeGresley will face sentence at the higher court on June 7.

Both defendants were granted conditional bail and ordered not to have unsupervised contact with any animal or child.

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