A Mt. Pleasant man has been charged in federal court with paying people overseas to torture monkeys and video record the acts.
Joseph Garrett Buckland is charged with conspiracy to create and distribute “animal crush” videos.
Animal crushing involves intentional crushing, burning or other torture. It is illegal for anyone to sell, advertise or exchange such photos and videos.
Police said Buckland belonged to group of people who congregated online, using apps such as Telegram, to watch, discuss and distribute videos of monkeys being abused.
One of the group’s members pooled their money to commission the videos, according to court documents.
Members sent money to a videographer in Indonesia with instructions on specific acts of crushing, police said.
Buckland participated from March 2023 to May 2025, police said, along with three co-conspirators who are from out of state.
Police said, from June to August 2023, Buckland sent 10 payments of $90 to $100 through CashApp and PayPal to commission animal crush videos.
The videographer would then distribute the materials electronically.
On two occasions in September 2023, authorities said, he solicited and collected payments through CakeWallet and sent the money to the videographer to pay for the videos.
In February 2025, federal prosecutors say, Buckland used an online messaging app to distribute a video more than an hour long that depicts violent torture of a monkey. Similar videos followed at least twice, police said.
Online federal court documents did not list a defense attorney for Buckland.
