Latest news with #KrystalCherikaScott
Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Indianapolis Star
Woman tied to 'animal crushing' back in jail after being found with dogs in Fountain Square
Warning: This story contains graphic details about animal torture and abuse. A woman who spent time in prison for extreme animal cruelty was arrested in Indianapolis on June 27 after prosecutors say she violated the terms of her supervised release. Krystal Cherika Scott, 24, was sentenced to 30 months' incarceration in 2021 as part of a plea deal after posting online videos of herself hanging and skinning cats and dogs. She was then transferred to five years of supervised release. Though the court ordered that Scott have no further contact with animals through 2028, she and two others were cited for animal neglect on June 21 after authorities found a dozen animals living in squalor in their rented U-Haul van. None of the animals had access to food or water and were "forced to stand" in a pile of feces, according to the animal control officer's report. The inside of the van smelled "like a deceased animal," the officer wrote, though all were alive. Animal control took the animals. Authorities couldn't figure out who owned each animal, so all three were cited. Each citation carries a fine between $25 and $200. No criminal charges were filed, sparking outrage and disbelief from animal advocates throughout Indianapolis. More: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats in Fountain Square Documents recently filed in Scott's federal case don't specify how she allegedly violated the terms of her release, but the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said before her June 27 arrest that her parole officer was aware of the animal care citation. A warrant for her arrest was issued by a federal judge on June 25, online court records show. Scott was the first person charged under a 2019 law that grants the federal government jurisdiction over extreme animal torture cases, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in her case. The FBI began investigating her in June 2020 after she posted a kitten torture video on Instagram. Federal agents raided the property and arrested Scott in July 2020. The FBI recovered "animal parts and skulls that were consistent with the size of cats and dogs," according to court documents. "(Scott) claims that her 'good side' loves cats and dogs, but that her 'bad side' tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty, including killing animals by strangulation and other means," an FBI agent wrote. In a custodial interview, Scott admitted to killing a kitten on video and uploading to Instagram. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of animal crushing, which refers to intentionally torturing live animals, often on video. Scott was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on Nov. 10, 2021. She was released on June 29, 2023, according to the Bureau of Prisons' database. Her release was followed by five years of supervised release, which banned "non-incidental" contact with animals. The terms of her probation were modified twice after her initial sentencing, but the changes are not available to the public. A revocation hearing is scheduled for July 29.
Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Indianapolis Star
Woman tied to 'animal crushing' back in jail after being found with dogs in Fountain Square
Warning: This story contains graphic details about animal torture and abuse. A woman who spent time in prison for extreme animal cruelty was arrested in Indianapolis on June 27 after prosecutors say she violated the terms of her supervised release. Krystal Cherika Scott, 24, was sentenced to 30 months' incarceration in 2021 as part of a plea deal after posting online videos of herself hanging and skinning cats and dogs. She was then transferred to five years of supervised release. Though the court ordered that Scott have no further contact with animals through 2028, she and two others were cited for animal neglect on June 21 after authorities found a dozen animals living in squalor in their rented U-Haul van. None of the animals had access to food or water and were "forced to stand" in a pile of feces, according to the animal control officer's report. The inside of the van smelled "like a deceased animal," the officer wrote, though all were alive. Animal control took the animals. Authorities couldn't figure out who owned each animal, so all three were cited. Each citation carries a fine between $25 and $200. No criminal charges were filed, sparking outrage and disbelief from animal advocates throughout Indianapolis. More: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats in Fountain Square Documents recently filed in Scott's federal case don't specify how she allegedly violated the terms of her release, but the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said before her June 27 arrest that her parole officer was aware of the animal care citation. A warrant for her arrest was issued by a federal judge on June 25, online court records show. Scott was the first person charged under a 2019 law that grants the federal government jurisdiction over extreme animal torture cases, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in her case. The FBI began investigating her in June 2020 after she posted a kitten torture video on Instagram. Federal agents raided the property and arrested Scott in July 2020. The FBI recovered "animal parts and skulls that were consistent with the size of cats and dogs," according to court documents. "(Scott) claims that her 'good side' loves cats and dogs, but that her 'bad side' tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty, including killing animals by strangulation and other means," an FBI agent wrote. In a custodial interview, Scott admitted to killing a kitten on video and uploading to Instagram. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of animal crushing, which refers to intentionally torturing live animals, often on video. Scott was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on Nov. 10, 2021. She was released on June 29, 2023, according to the Bureau of Prisons' database. Her release was followed by five years of supervised release, which banned "non-incidental" contact with animals. The terms of her probation were modified twice after her initial sentencing, but the changes are not available to the public. A revocation hearing is scheduled for July 29.
