A Cincinnati man was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison today for his role in creating and selling videos showing the torture and sexual abuse of monkeys.
Nicholas T. Dryden, who will also serve three years of supervised release, was convicted of creating and conspiring to distribute animal crush videos.
Court documents show that in 2023, Dryden paid a minor in Indonesia to film the abuse and torture of baby and adolescent monkeys. The abuse included burning and mutilating the animals’ genitals. Dryden then sold the recorded material through several online groups he managed.
Federal officials condemned the actions following the sentencing.
“The conduct perpetrated by these defendants was reprehensible,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Congress has said clearly that this conduct has no place in our society, and the Department of Justice stands ready to prosecute those who engaged in these heinous practices to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio highlighted the global reach of the operation.
“Dryden, who resided in Cincinnati, paid a minor on the other side of the world to film the torture and abuse of monkeys and then sold those videos to others,” Gerace said. “This sadistic and obscene conduct is unacceptable in any civilized society and Dryden will rightfully spend time in prison for his actions.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“This was an extraordinarily disturbing and heinous case of animal cruelty,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Orchestrating the deliberate torture and murder of baby primates is unconscionable. Our agents worked tirelessly to support the pursuit of justice. Today’s sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable and sends a clear warning to anyone who would commit such acts: we will find you, and you will be held accountable.”
Prosecution was led by Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of the ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Oakley.
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