Carver man convicted on 16 federal animal torture counts
A federal jury in Minneapolis has convicted Bryan Wesley Edison of Carver, Minnesota, on 16 counts of animal crushing for running an online operation that filmed and sold videos of small animals being tortured and killed.[1]
Jurors found that from July 30, 2022, through at least Oct. 19, 2023, Edison orchestrated and recorded extreme abuse of small animals, including having them attacked by a large exotic reptile, drowned, crushed, or dismembered alive, then sold access to the footage through paid online memberships.[1] Prosecutors said he offered subscription tiers ranging from 99 cents to $99.99 and made at least $1,500 from the videos, which carried titles such as "Dog mauls guinea pig" and "Snapping Turtle Gives Rat a Slow Death."[1] Under the federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, he now faces up to seven years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count, with sentencing set for March 3, 2027.[1]
Evidence at trial showed that Edison built a niche online business around so-called "crush" and torture content, using social media platforms and paywalled sites to market and deliver his videos to paying customers across the country and overseas.[1] Investigators traced payments and subscription records back to Edison and linked them to dozens of clips depicting the deliberate torment and killing of small animals, which prosecutors argued were staged and filmed specifically to satisfy paying viewers' demands.[1]
The U.S. Attorney's Office highlighted the case as a test and showcase of the tougher federal Crush Video Statute, which Congress expanded in 2019 to criminalize not only the creation and distribution of animal crushing videos but also any underlying acts of extreme cruelty done for commercial gain.[1] Prosecutors said Edison's conviction demonstrates how the law can be used against people who try to monetize animal torture through modern subscription platforms, and they framed the verdict as a warning meant to deter others who profit from similar content.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Defendant: Bryan Wesley Edison of Carver, Minnesota, convicted Nov. 9, 2026, on 16 federal counts of animal crushing.
- Conduct occurred from July 30, 2022, through at least Oct. 19, 2023, and involved filming severe abuse and death of small animals, often by being attacked by a large exotic reptile or through drowning, crushing, and live dismemberment.
- Edison ran paid online memberships ranging from $0.99 to $99.99, earning at least $1,500 from torture videos with titles such as “Dog mauls guinea pig” and “Snapping Turtle Gives Rat a Slow Death.”
- He faces up to seven years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count, with sentencing scheduled for March 3, 2027, under the federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that the case is a deliberate use of the 2019 expansion of the federal Crush Video Statute to punish and deter for‑profit animal torture.
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