Coral Gables Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Distributing Sexual Torture and Mutilation Videos of Baby Monkeys

MIAMI - Francisco Javier Ravelo, of Coral Gables, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which he is not permitted to have any unsupervised contact with animals. Ravelo was sentenced in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute.

Ravelo pleaded guilty in March to distributing more than 40 so-called "animal crush videos."

According to court documents and statements made during his sentencing hearing, Ravelo owned and administered several online chat groups dedicated to distribution and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and tortured. The court ruled that Ravelo controlled access to and moderated his invitation-only private groups, where he was a leader and organizer, which served as a basis for Ravelo's upward variance prison sentence. The court described the material distributed as "evil." The court explained that it fashioned the sentence to show that "in society we will not tolerate this kind of material being distributed in any way, shape, or form" and further, that the harshness should serve as a deterrence for others in the monkey hate community.

"The production and distribution of obscene animal crush videos is a felony," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). "In passing the Animal Crushing statute, Congress recognized that cruelty to animals desensitizes participants to the suffering of human beings. Today's sentence is a warning to all future would-be creators and consumers of animal crushing that they risk federal prosecution and imprisonment for these crimes."

"This case is deeply disturbing, and the 60-month sentence reflects the seriousness of the conduct," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "Ravelo did not merely view this material. He owned and administered private online groups dedicated to distributing obscene videos of monkeys being sexually abused, mutilated, and burned. As a former state court judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I know that deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest warning signs of dangerousness. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime, and those who organize, distribute, and celebrate this kind of cruelty will face federal prison."

"Ravelo's conviction and today's sentencing make it clear that those who commit these horrific crimes cannot evade justice," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans. "Even when offenders use advanced technology and exclusive, invitation-only groups to hide their illegal activities, HSI will relentlessly pursue them and ensure they are held accountable. Our team worked tirelessly to stop Ravelo's egregious crimes and prevent further harm, and we remain committed to bringing others who commit these offenses to justice."

HSI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke E. Latta for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of the ENRD's Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., under case number 25-cr-20477.

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