A Houston man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for cruelty to animals, for his role in filming animal crush videos.

Photo: Houston Police Department

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Ashley Nichole Richards, 23, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty. Brent Wayne Justice, 52, of Houston, is also charged with animal cruelty for his participation in the case. less

Ashley Nichole Richards, 23, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty. Brent Wayne Justice, 52, of Houston, is also charged with animal cruelty for his ... more

Photo: Houston Police Department

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Ashley Nicole Richards testifies in 208th State District Criminal Court during the punishment phase of Kelly Jo Ivey's trial after Ivey was convicted of Intoxication Manslaughter in the death of Harris County Sheriff Deputy Jesse "Trey" Valdez, III Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in Houston. Richards, 24, who has plead guilty to four counts of creating animal crush videos in an unrelated case. less

Ashley Nicole Richards testifies in 208th State District Criminal Court during the punishment phase of Kelly Jo Ivey's trial after Ivey was convicted of Intoxication Manslaughter in the death of Harris County ... more

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

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Animal cruelty incidents in the news. less

Animal cruelty incidents in the news.

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Erving Hernandez, 35, was taken into custody at San Antonio Police Department's Prue Road substation on Nov. 25, 2015 and charged with animal cruelty after allegedly beating a pregnant dog to death in October, 2015. less

Erving Hernandez, 35, was taken into custody at San Antonio Police Department's Prue Road substation on Nov. 25, 2015 and charged with animal cruelty after allegedly beating a pregnant dog to death in October, ... more

Photo: Mark D. Wilson/San Antonio Express-News

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Jerry Rosales is suspected of a throwing a dog at his father-in-law during a disturbance in July, 2015.

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Jerry Rosales is suspected of a throwing a dog at his father-in-law during a disturbance in July, 2015.

Photo: Bexar County Sheriff's Office

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Photo: Courtesy Photo/Animal Care Services

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This cat was discovered with rubber bands cutting off its circulation Sept. 2, 2015. If you have any information about this animal cruelty case, please contact the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 210-335-TIPS (8477).

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This cat was discovered with rubber bands cutting off its circulation Sept. 2, 2015. If you have any information about this animal cruelty case, please contact the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at

... more

Photo: Bexar County Sheriffs Office

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Dallas Police Sgt. Kandy Standige, 50, was arrested on a charge of animal cruelty on Aug. 3, 2015, in Italy, Texas. less

Dallas Police Sgt. Kandy Standige, 50, was arrested on a charge of animal cruelty on Aug. 3, 2015, in Italy, Texas.

Photo: Ellis County Jail

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Austin County veterinarian Dr. Kristen Lindsey has reportedly been fired from the animal clinic at which she works after allegedly posting this photo to her Facebook page of a dead cat she reportedly shot with an arrow.

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Austin County veterinarian Dr. Kristen Lindsey has reportedly been fired from the animal clinic at which she works after allegedly posting this photo to her Facebook page of a dead cat she reportedly shot with

... more

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Photo: White, Tyler L, Screengrab

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Photo: White, Tyler L, Screengrab

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Lubbock police arrested Robert Earl Smith, 21, on Wednesday for allegedly slamming his girlfriend's 3-month-old kitten onto concrete during an argument outside of their apartment. Smith was charged with animal cruelty, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail. less

Lubbock police arrested Robert Earl Smith, 21, on Wednesday for allegedly slamming his girlfriend's 3-month-old kitten onto concrete during an argument outside of their apartment. Smith was charged with animal ... more

Photo: Lubbock County Sheriff's Office

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Photo: Lisa Krantz, San Antonio Express-News

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Photo: Screenshot Via Facebook

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Photo: Montgomery County Police Reporter

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Gary L. Kennedy, 53, is accused of killing an 8-month-old Shar Pei named Boscoe on July 3, 2014, in the 100 block of Canton Street on the East Side.

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Gary L. Kennedy, 53, is accused of killing an 8-month-old Shar Pei named Boscoe on July 3, 2014, in the 100 block of Canton Street on the East Side.

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Charles Compton, 24, was charged with animal cruelty after his wife's beagle was set on fire July, 18, 2014.

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Charles Compton, 24, was charged with animal cruelty after his wife's beagle was set on fire July, 18, 2014.

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This photo courtesy of Washington Family Vet Clinic shows, a x-ray showing Quiver, a cat that was shot with an arrow on Feb. 6, 2014 in Washington, Utah. Officials with the nonprofit organization One More Chance C.A.T.S. say the impaled feline was found Wednesday after going missing from a park for a few days. A veterinarian who examined the cat says an arrow had gone through the animal's head, passed through her esophagus and then came out of her shoulder blades. The vet removed the arrow and says the cat is expected to survive. (AP Photo/Washington Family Vet Clinic via The Spectrum) less

This photo courtesy of Washington Family Vet Clinic shows, a x-ray showing Quiver, a cat that was shot with an arrow on Feb. 6, 2014 in Washington, Utah. Officials with the nonprofit organization One More ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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Federal agents issued an urgent plea for help after two protected bottlenose dolphins were shot and killed. One was killed with a hunting arrow, another with a gun, the second was pregnant.

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Federal agents issued an urgent plea for help after two protected bottlenose dolphins were shot and killed. One was killed with a hunting arrow, another with a gun, the second was pregnant.

Photo: NOAA

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Videographer gets 50 years in animal crush videos

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A Houston man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for cruelty to animals, for his role in filming animal crush videos.

Brent Justice, 54, was convicted and sentenced Monday for cruelty to non-livestock animals. He and Ashley Richards, 25, were arrested in August 2012 after a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA.

RELATED: Woman pleads guilty in nation's 1st federal animal crush video case

Investigators said Justice filmed a scantily clad Richards, sometimes masked, stabbing animals - including a puppy, a kitten and a chicken - as well as chopping off their limbs and urinating on them while making sexual comments to the camera.

Crush videos are part of a fetish culture in which small animals, like puppies and kittens, are tortured or killed for the sexual gratification of observers. Videos of the acts, usually shown online, have been marketed as rituals or sacrifices.

RELATED: High court denies Houston couple's request to dismiss federal charges in 'animal crush video' case

Richards was convicted in 2014 on state charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Last year, she pleaded guilty in federal court to four counts of creating animal crush videos and one film distribution charge under the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010.

In one of the videos seized by authorities, Richards punctured a cat's eye with a shoe heel. In other videos, she used a meat cleaver and other knives to maim animals.

The videos were produced in Houston from 2010 to 2012.

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