MIAMI — A Coral Gables man who owned and administered invitation-only online groups dedicated to distributing videos of monkeys being sexually abused, mutilated and burned was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced.
Francisco Javier Ravelo pleaded guilty in March to distributing more than 40 animal crush videos in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute. In addition to the prison term, Ravelo received three years of supervised release during which he is barred from any unsupervised contact with animals.
“This case is deeply disturbing, and the 60-month sentence reflects the seriousness of the conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Ravelo did not merely view this material. He owned and administered private online groups dedicated to distributing obscene videos of monkeys being sexually abused, mutilated, and burned. As a former state court judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I know that deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest warning signs of dangerousness. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime, and those who organize, distribute, and celebrate this kind of cruelty will face federal prison.”
The court found that Ravelo controlled access to and moderated his invitation-only private groups, where he served as a leader and organizer — a finding that formed the basis for an upward variance in his prison sentence. The court described the material distributed as “evil” and explained that it fashioned the sentence to show that “in society we will not tolerate this kind of material being distributed in any way, shape, or form” and that the harshness should serve as a deterrence for others in the monkey hate community.
“The production and distribution of obscene animal crush videos is a felony,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “In passing the Animal Crushing statute, Congress recognized that cruelty to animals desensitizes participants to the suffering of human beings. Today’s sentence is a warning to all future would-be creators and consumers of animal crushing that they risk federal prosecution and imprisonment for these crimes.”
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. “Ravelo’s conviction and today’s sentencing make it clear that those who commit these horrific crimes cannot evade justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of HSI New Orleans. “Even when offenders use advanced technology and exclusive, invitation-only groups to hide their illegal activities, HSI will relentlessly pursue them and ensure they are held accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke E. Latta and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case, filed under case number 25-cr-20477 in the Southern District of Florida. Ravelo now begins his supervised release period upon completion of the 60-month sentence, with animal-contact restrictions enforced by federal probation.