MOUNT PLEASANT MAN CHARGED WITH PAYING PEOPLE OVERSEAS TO TORTURE MONKEYS

A Mt. Pleasant man was charged in federal court with paying people overseas to torture monkeys and record the acts on video.  The Trib reports that Joseph Garrett Buckland is charged with conspiracy to create and distribute videos of animals being crushed, burned or tortured otherwise, which is illegal.  Police said that he participated in a group for this from March of 2023 to May of last year.  Online court documents did not list a defense attorney for Buckland.