Man who ran international monkey torture ring jailed

A man who oversaw an online sadist community that paid money for videos showing monkeys being tortured and killed has been sentenced today.

Bartosz Poklek, 30, of Bexley, Greater London, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court where he was sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order, following an application by the prosecution. This is the first time such an order has been imposed for a wildlife-related crime. 

Poklek was the administrator of an online group which saw people in South East Asia torturing and killing monkeys and posting the videos online to be sold and distributed.

After his arrest and following a police search of his property and devices, he was also charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply and with making indecent photographs of a child.

Adeolu Odusote, of 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.

“We’re grateful for the extensive efforts of both our domestic and international partners in helping us build the strongest possible prosecution against him. This resulted in Poklek pleading guilty to the crimes for which he has now been sentenced.

“Today’s result shows that the CPS will use every power available to ensure the enablers of abuse in these online communities can’t hide from their depraved and abhorrent actions and face the full extent of the law.”

Poklek was arrested at his home in Bexley in September 2025 and charged by the CPS following an international investigation by the Metropolitan Police, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and Homeland Security in the United States.

Prosecutors built a strong case which showed he was a key facilitator in an online “Zoosadism” community.
Poklek ran a series of Telegram communities with people who demanded and shared increasingly violent and disturbing footage of monkeys, primarily involving baby long-tailed macaques, being tortured and even killed.

Videos were filmed in Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia. Poklek commissioned and scripted the videos, and was responsible for ensuring payment was transferred from customers to the videographers and the people who physically carried out the torture.

In some instances, those in the community were able to “adopt” a monkey to determine how they would be treated and share ideas for torturing them.

When police arrested Poklek, they recovered digital devices showing his involvement in arranging the monkey torture videos and facilitating payments. In total, almost 3,000 videos showing the extreme physical abuse of monkeys were found on the defendant’s devices.

Officers also found more than a dozen wraps of Amphetamine as well as grinders, scales and a board used for cutting the wraps. Further analysis of his devices found nine indecent images of children within an encrypted file.

Poklek pleaded guilty to intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, making indecent photographs of a child, publishing an obscene article, and possessing a Class B controlled drug. 

RSPCA Special Operations Unit Chief Will Mitchell said: “Online groups set up to post, share and glorify extreme and graphic videos of animal torture are completely unacceptable - and we welcome any steps taken to tackle such heinous content.

“Not only are animals directly suffering as a result - but those setting up these groups often profit from this distressing material and potentially encourage others to do the same. Treating animals in this way is absolutely not acceptable and has no place in a modern society that is largely made up of kind, compassionate animal lovers.

“Sadly, our figures show that more than one in five people have witnessed avoidable animal suffering online and this rises to 32% of 18-24 year olds.

“If the public encounters animal cruelty content online, they should report it directly to the platform themselves, who under the Online Safety Act now have new obligations to tackle illegal content glorifying or promoting animal abuse.”