A Scottish woman involved in a global monkey torture ring has been jailed for more than two years in a landmark case.
Police Scotland said Natalie Herron, 39, contributed to the “cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals”.
Investigating officers described it as one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and that the material was like nothing they had seen before.
This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad.
Herron was arrested in September 2022 after the National Crime Agency (NCA) alerted Police Scotland.
She was then brought to justice with help from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).
Detective Sergeant Karen Murray said the long and complex investigation was “the first of its kind in the UK”.
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She added: “Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it.
“This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on, and we hope this sentence shows that, even though the cruelty took place abroad, these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.”
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Detective Inspector Mark Harrison, from the NWCU, said the investigation was “truly shocking and unsettling”.
He added: “The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others.
“It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people, and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously.”
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Herron appeared before Airdrie Sheriff Court in North Lanarkshire last month and pleaded guilty to charges of distributing and possessing obscene publications between December 2021 and September 2022.
She returned to the dock on Tuesday, where she was jailed for two years and three months.
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As part of the wider investigation, two women were last year jailed at Worcester Crown Court in England for their part in the network.
A 37-year-old woman was sentenced to two years behind bars, while a 55-year-old woman was jailed for one year and three months.
Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: “The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous.
“These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable.”
