Bartosz Poklek, 30, has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for orchestrating a large-scale monkey torture ring that distributed "abuse on demand" videos for up to $500 each. The sentencing took place at Woolwich Crown Court, where Judge Christopher Grout described the case as the most horrific animal abuse he had ever encountered.
Details of the Abuse
Poklek, from Bexley in south-east London, held a commanding position within the "monkey hate" online community, operating chat groups and circulating thousands of videos and images. He penned scripts detailing how monkeys should be mutilated, dismembered, and tortured, and orchestrated the manner of their deaths, including bludgeoning with a hammer.
Some monkeys were dressed as infants while being attacked, and others were bound with zip ties, set alight, and fed alcohol. In one 39-minute video, a baby monkey was tortured in this manner. Another nearly half-hour video showed a baby monkey being mutilated with scissors while still alive.
Online Network and Investigation
Judge Grout explained that "zoo sadists" were drawn into the network after showing interest in animal abuse material on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, before being invited onto more secure platforms like Discord and Telegram. Some users paid to "adopt" a monkey to dictate the manner of torture, and network members could submit suggestions for abuse.
Poklek, known online as "BP", managed a chat group titled "BP empire" and was described by prosecutor Alex Kettle-Williams as "a controlling figure in what is known as the 'monkey hate community'". He was apprehended after attempting to access court documents from a monkey torture criminal case in the US.
Sentencing and Calls for Change
Poklek confessed to operating the ring between June 2023 and September 2025, and also admitted to publishing obscene videos for profit, possession of indecent images of children, and possession of ketamine. The judge stated that Poklek will be released after serving approximately a third of his sentence and urged Parliament to consider harsher penalties for animal abuse, which currently carry a maximum of five years.
"If ever there was a case that demonstrates that the statutory maximum for animal cruelty is too low, this is it," said Judge Grout. Adeolu Odusote, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bartosz Poklek was a key cog in a vile trade that oversaw and encouraged the sickening torture of monkeys. Treating vulnerable animals in this way is a horrifying practice that must be rooted out wherever it's found."
