Scots woman jailed for watching and sharing videos of monkey torture online

A Scottish woman has been jailed for watching and sharing videos online of monkeys being tortured as part of a global ring.

Natalie Herron, 39, was sentenced to two years and three months at Airdrie Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

She previously pled guilty on Tuesday, May 13 to charges of distributing and possessing obscene publications between December 2021 and September 2022.

This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad.

Officers said this was one of the most “horrific” cases they had dealt with and the material was like “nothing they had seen before”.

Herron was arrested in September 2022 following intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

As part of the wider investigation with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, two women were jailed at Worcester Crown Court in November 2024 for their part in a global monkey torture ring.

One woman, aged 37, was sentenced to two years and the other, aged 55, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison.

Detective Sergeant Karen Murray said: “This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK.

“Thanks to the work of these organisations Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which led contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals.

“Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it.

“This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.”

Detective Inspector Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit said: “This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling.

“The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others.

“It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously.

“This investigation is part of a larger transnational investigation that the NWCU has been assisting with and the NWCU would like to thank Police Scotland for their hard work and dedication on this case. It shouldn’t be underestimated the impact that working on a case like this can have on those involved.

“Wildlife crime can occur in many forms and the NWCU will continue to work with partners from across the world to ensure that we have the expertise, resources, and skills to fight this type of crime however it may occur.”

Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous.

“These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable.

“Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted.”

Anyone who has any concerns around this type of behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.