Canadian couple sentenced to 12 years for selling animal torture videos
Lima and Kabecz were arrested in October 2024 after the Winnipeg Police Service received a report from the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian Animal Welfare about videos and photographs of animals being killed and tortured that were being posted on the dark web.
Over 60 cats and kittens, seven birds, six rabbits, six hamsters, three goldfish, a frog and an axolotl were involved, reported the CBC.
An investigation by Winnipeg police found that between May 20, 2024, and Oct. 7, 2024, these animals were filmed or photographed being tortured and killed.
“In some of these instances, there was also a sexual component to the offence,” reads a news release from the police service in November 2024.
The videos of the murders were sold in a group called Goddess May Barefoot Premium Crush.
According to reports from the CBC, prosecutors told the court that the Telegram group where the videos were sold listed animals that could be killed by price. This ranged from a baby mouse for $5 to kittens for over $100. PayPal records showed the videos made Lima and Kabecz a profit of about $2,800 between May and October 2024.
The Canadian couple read letters to the court during the sentencing hearing last Wednesday, sharing their remorse for their actions.
The CBC reported that Lima is expected to be transferred to serve her sentence in Edmonton because there is no federal women’s institution in Manitoba.