Upper Darby woman convicted of animal cruelty over YouTube torture videos

Anigar Monsee was charged last year over videos showing her torturing, killing animals while soliciting likes
Mugshot of Anigar Monsee
Photo credit Upper Darby Police Department

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An Upper Darby woman was convicted Wednesday on cruelty charges stemming from online videos she made in which she tortured and killed several animals.

According to court documents, Anigar Monsee, 29, was found guilty by a Delaware County jury on four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Upper Darby police arrested her in January of 2024 after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alerted them to a series of videos she streamed live on YouTube.

In those videos, she slowly tortured a rabbit, pigeon, chicken and other animals to death in her kitchen, while asking her followers for likes. In the original criminal complaint, police said Monsee "prolonged the torture by stopping to read and respond to comments" from viewers on her live stream.

“Once she got, I guess in her opinion, the appropriate amount or the desired amount of likes and viewers over the period of 10 minutes, she harmed the chicken until she ultimately killed it,” said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt. “How do you get in the frame of mind to do that to an animal? I just, I really can’t wrap my head around it.”

Animal rights advocates have lauded the verdict. "The guilty verdict on all four counts against Anigar Monsee sends a powerful message: there is no excuse for animal abuse," said Carol Lutter, an organizer with animal rights group Revolution Philadelphia. "Justice was served today for the innocent victims of this horrific cruelty."

Monsee's sentencing is scheduled for July 17. She faces up to seven years behind bars and a $15,000 dollar fine.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Upper Darby Police Department