Penalties Urged for Animal-Torture Videos

Federal lawmakers and activists advocating criminal penalties for people who sell videos depicting cruelty to animals used a graphic video of a woman’s red, high-heel-clad foot crushing a guinea pig as part of their pitch.

The clip is part of a multimillion-dollar worldwide industry of so-called “crush videos,” officials said. Lawmakers and activists are pushing for the new federal laws because the participants who make and appear in the videos are difficult to identify, and prosecution under local animal cruelty laws is rare.

A half-dozen people walked out on the video at the congressional hearing Thursday, and two others covered their ears to the animal’s squeals.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) has proposed legislation that would enable federal prosecutors to target people who market the films by making it illegal to create, sell or possess any depiction of animals being treated cruelly for commercial purposes. Violators could get up to five years in prison.

“It’s beyond horror, it’s evil,” actress Loretta Swit, who represented Actors and Others for Animals and the Humane Society, told the House Judiciary Committee’s crime panel.

“In all my years of pushing legislation to protect animals, this is clearly one of the sickest forms of animal cruelty I have ever heard of,” Gallegly said.

More than 2,000 titles of “crush videos” are available, selling for $30 to $100 each, Gallegly said, adding: “This windfall must end.”

Critics contend the bill would violate the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. They say it is so broad it could allow prosecution of those who make legitimate animal documentaries and even distributors of newsmagazines that contain pictures of bullfights.

Gallegly said he would offer amendments to exempt educational or artistic works such as films of bullfights.

Rep. Robert Scott (D-Va.) questioned how local authorities would know to enforce the law if the videos were shot in other states or countries.

Tom Connors, deputy district attorney in Ventura County, said the bill would work in the same way as prohibitions against the possession or sale of child pornography.