Court docs reveal depths of animal cruelty

CELINA - A Michigan man who recently moved to Celina and was the subject of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security raid is accused of sexually abusing and torturing dogs in videos that were distributed across the globe, according to federal court records.

Lucas Russell VanWoert, 25, is charged with seven total counts of creating and distributing "animal crush" videos, which involves the distribution of videos showing animals being tortured and abused.

The charge of creating animal crush videos carries a sentence of up to seven years in federal prison, while distributing animal crush videos carries a sentence of up to five years.

A call seeking comment to Charles Boss, VanWoert's lawyer, was not returned by press time. VanWoert is being held without bond in Ohio.

Federal court documents obtained by The Daily Standard detail an investigation that originally began in Australia with the arrest of a 51-year-old producer of animal cruelty videos.

The Australian man was arrested and charged with offenses including bestiality, animal cruelty, aggravated animal cruelty and child exploitation crimes, according to court documents.

During that investigation, Australian law enforcement found numerous image and video files of animal cruelty allegedly produced in Nov. 2020 by VanWoert using the nickname "Graves."

According to court documents, the man and VanWoert reportedly exchanged 705 files of animal abuse with one another.

An initial review of the material indicated the videos were filmed in the sleeper cabin of a tractor trailer and involved at least four different dogs that were sexually abused and tortured.

Authorities said they identified VanWoert by a unique tattoo of a star surrounded by sunrays on his arm, a distinct hunting knife that was used in the videos and an image of a tractor trailer with a partial Tennessee license plate number that was exchanged with the Australian abuser, according to the criminal complaint.

In one photo uncovered by law enforcement, VanWoert can be seen with the tattoo and what appears to be a tan- and-white pitbull with its mouth tied shut.

Graphic court documents allege that in four different videos made between Nov. 8-16, 2020, VanWoert sexually abused and tortured the pitbull using the hunting knife. In some of the videos, the dog's labored breathing could be heard during the abuse.

In one video in which the dog appeared to be dead, "VanWoert uses a hunting knife to cut out and remove the dog's tongue," wrote Timothy Kruithoff, special agent with HSI, in the complaint.

Court documents said all of the videos were recorded in the western district of Michigan. VanWoert moved to Celina earlier this year. Authorities in the court documents said he committed the acts and distributed the content while still living in Michigan.

A search warrant was executed at his home in Behm's Landing on Sept. 27, where agents seized and are conducting searches of additional devices, according to the criminal complaint. The preliminary examination has disclosed an additional animal crushing video.

Officials in the criminal complaint state VanWoert on Sept. 27 admitted to engaging in sex acts, beating and strangling a dog in the yard of his former employer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before placing the body in a dumpster.

Agents also found three malnourished dogs at his Celina residence, as well as the body of a fourth dog buried in the back yard.