Florida vet pleads guilty to making animal torture porn

A Florida veterinarian has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing pets in his care, and to making “crush videos,” a highly disturbing type of pornography that shows animals getting stepped on or beaten to death for the viewer’s sexual gratification.

Prentiss Madden, the now ex-medical director of Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Miami, pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of creating crush videos, according to a Department of Justice press release.

So-called “crush videos” are deemed a form of animal torture and typically feature women stamping on or impaling small animals.

Madden became subject to a federal investigation after the file hosting service Dropbox alerted authorities to user possessing more than 1,600 files of suspected child pornography. The files were then traced to an IP address registered to Madden’s home in Aventura.

Madden was arrested by federal officials in March after a search warrant was executed at the property.

Using GPS data from the images, investigators found that Madden had abused the animals featured in the “crush videos” at his animal hospital. The unsealed criminal complaint details how he recorded himself sexually abusing dogs with his hands, penis and a sex toy.

Owners who entrusted their dogs to Madden’s animal hospital are now concerned that their pets may have also been subjected to abuse.

“That’s the most disgusting thing. Nobody knows what happened in there,” Gina Silvestri, owner of a service dog treated by Madden, told the South Florida New Times. “It’s horrifying.”

Madden faces a maximum of 87 years in federal prison. He is set to be sentenced in October.