JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A mother is facing federal prison for conspiring to create “animal crush” videos.
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A new indictment from the State Attorney’s Office said 35-year-old Nicole DeVilbiss was in charge of a Telegram group chat, sharing dozens of videos showing physical abuse and torture of monkeys.
DeVilbiss was arrested at her home, on Tuesday. Her neighbor said the parking lot was crowded with officers for hours.
“I never seen anything like it,” her neighbor said. “It is sickening to me. You know you never know who your neighbors are.”
The 35-year-old is charged with conspiracy to create and distribute ‘animal crush’ videos. Animal crushing is defined as “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury,” according to federal criminal law.
The 56-page indictment details what happened over an 11-month span between June of 2022 and May of 2023.
It said, “DeVilbiss admitted to sharing ‘dozens’ of videos depicting the physical abuse and torture of monkeys.” The Jacksonville mother told investigators her initial intentions were to, “help stop the torture but later transitioned to a dark place where she found relief from viewing monkey torture videos.”
A doctor and professor of psychology at California State noted in the indictment that, “crush videos are sexual in nature.” He added that because of the social unacceptability, “there would be a strong commercial market for crush videos that can watched in secret.” DeVilbiss both paid for videos and accepted payments for videos as well.
The indictment listed a sample of some of the messages DeVilbiss posted in the group chat:
“Hey, my monkey-hating family! How are we all doing?”
“It’s like sweet symphony. Whenever I close my eyes and listen, I can totally envision the pain they endure!”
There are also detailed descriptions of the videos shared. The wording is disturbing and graphic and details the restraining of a monkey while shooting a machete at some of its’ body parts.
DeVilbiss was one of 60 people from across the world in that group. She could spend five years in prison.
She was also arrested in April of this year for shoplifting at Target with her two daughters. DeVilbiss pleaded ‘no contest.’ In return for no jail time, she had to complete 50 hours of community service and complete a child parenting class.
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