Who is Amanda Leigh Fourez? Illinois woman pleads guilty to distributing sick ‘animal crush videos’
An Illinois woman has pleaded guilty to distributing “violent” and “sexual” videos of monkeys being tortured online, federal authorities have said. Amanda Leigh Fourez, an Illinois resident, entered a guilty plea earlier this month to distributing the videos in online chat groups.
ICE wrote on X, “Amanda Leigh Fourez, a U.S. citizen from Illinois, paid thousands of dollars to have others make sexual torture videos involving adult and baby monkeys for people in deranged online chat groups.Known as “animal crush videos,” they show real monkeys being burned alive and having their genitals mutilated. She pleaded guilty April 15 following an ICE @HSINewOrleans and FBI joint investigation.”
Who is Amanda Leigh Fourez?
The US Department of Justice said in a release that Fourez, of Catlin, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to charges of distributing and conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos through online chat groups.
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“According to court documents and statements made in court during the change of plea hearing, Fourez paid thousands of dollars to commission bespoke sexual torture videos of monkeys, and later she distributed the obscene crush videos over the Internet. Fourez archived and controlled the distribution of animal crush videos. She was a member of several online chat groups and private payment groups dedicated to the creation, distribution, and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being tortured, including baby and adult monkeys being burned and their genitals mutilated,” the release stated.
Fourez now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of seven years in prison for the distribution charge, as well as a fine of up to $500,000.
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The case was investigated by HSI New Orleans’ Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations and the FBI. Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Locher for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting Fourez’s case.