By Nicola Goodwin & Chloe Hughes
Adriana Orme, a 56-year-old woman from Upton Upon Severn, Worcestershire, has pleaded guilty to being part of a disturbing global monkey torture ring. Her involvement in the horrific network was uncovered after a year-long investigation by the BBC. The network initially began on YouTube before migrating to private groups on the messaging platform Telegram.
Orme played a significant role in an online group that orchestrated the torture and killing of baby macaque monkeys for the pleasure of the participants. The goal was to create custom videos of these acts, which were then shared online.
In Worcester Crown Court, Orme was charged with publishing an obscene article and intentionally encouraging or assisting in causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Her actions included sending a disturbing image and 26 videos of monkey torture between March and June 2022. She also made a £10 PayPal payment to access footage of a baby macaque being tortured, which led to a charge of encouraging an offence.
Along with Orme, Holly Le Gresley, a 37-year-old from Kidderminster, also pleaded guilty for her role in the group. Both women are scheduled for sentencing on October 25.
Members of the group, which had participants from around the world, discussed various methods of torturing and killing the monkeys. These methods were voted on, with the chosen acts being carried out by individuals in countries like Indonesia, where the monkeys were taken from their families in the wild.
Orme was considered a “key member” of the group, welcoming new members and organizing bidding for the abuse. Despite the women living in Worcestershire, they are not believed to have known each other personally, and both used pseudonyms online.
A year-long undercover investigation by BBC Eye exposed the private Telegram chat rooms where hundreds of people congregated to discuss and commission these acts of violence. Police seized over 20 devices from the women, recovering thousands of files related to the abuse.
Ch Insp Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, called it the worst case of animal cruelty he had encountered in his 22 years of service, stating, “The animals in this case have been unnecessarily tortured. There’s no excuse for it.”
Action for Primates, a UK-based advocacy group, assisted the investigation, and co-founder Sarah Kite described the content as the most horrifying she had ever encountered. She urged for the women to be permanently barred from having contact with children or animals.
As the legal proceedings continue, the case has sparked outrage worldwide, shedding light on the extremities of online cruelty and the disturbing trade in animal abuse.
