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Minnesota man’s animal torture YouTube videos lead to federal charges

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Published  September 18, 2025 10:29am CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

The Brief

    • A Carver, Minnesota, man is accused of creating hundreds of videos showing animals being tortured and killed and posting them to YouTube.
    • The DOJ said he operated pay-per-view channels, often keeping the "most graphic torture" videos behind paywalls.
    • The 32-year-old has been federally indicted with 16 counts of animal crushing.

CARVER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Carver man is facing federal charges for allegedly creating graphic videos of animal torture and death for pay-per-view YouTube channels.

‘Animal crushing’ videos

Federal charges:

Bryan Wesley Edison, 32, has been federally indicted on 16 counts of animal crushing, which is when a person intentionally harms an animal by crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or otherwise causing serious bodily injury. 

President Donald Trump expanded the "Crush Video Statue" with the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act in 2019. The act recognized "individuals who intentionally torture and kill animals pose a unique danger to others and to society as a whole," according to the DOJ press release. 

What happened:

Edison allegedly operated pay-per-view YouTube channels since 2022, where he posted nearly 350 videos of animals being tortured and killed. The press release states that Edison would place rodents, reptiles, rabbits, birds and dogs into confined closures, like a bathtub or playpen, where the animals were then subjected to prolonged torture and death. 

According to the release, some of the videos were free to watch, but those advertised as having the "most graphic torture" were hidden behind a paywall. Edison offered tiered memberships ranging from about $1 to $100 per month, with the most expensive subscription allowing members to request "custom videos."

YouTube has since removed the accounts for violating policies on violence, according to the DOJ.

What they're saying:

"Animal crushing is not only sickening, it is a federal crime," said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson in a provided statement. "When someone takes pleasure in the torture of defenseless animals, it signals a deeper danger to our community. Especially in these troubled times, we will not allow these warning signs to go unchecked."

Edison made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday. He remains in custody at Sherburne County Jail. 

The Source: This story uses information from a Minnesota Department of Justice press release on Sept. 17, 2025.

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