KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A Kent County man is charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty for allegedly creating and distributing videos of dogs being sexually abused, tortured and killed.
Lucas Russell Vanwoert, 25, was charged with four counts of "Creation of Animal Crush Video" and four counts of "Distribution of Animal Crush Video".
Court documents from a US District Court in Western Michigan explain that these so-called "animal crush" videos depict a dog being "sexually assaulted, impaled, and otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury and resulted in killing the dog."
Vanwoert was allegedly sharing these videos with McMinns Lagoon, an individual living in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The alleged crimes are believed to have taken place between November of 2020 and April of 2022.
Vanwoert moved to Mercer County, Ohio earlier this year and is currently being held by the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
Each of the charges are felonies are punishable by fines and/or up to seven years imprisonment if Vanwoert is convicted.
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