WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing.
Unsettling social media accounts have emerged since the arrest of a Kelowna man accused of torturing a hamster and posting the video online.
Leighton Allen Labute, 20, was charged on Monday (May 25) with three counts of killing or injuring an animal and three counts of causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal, stemming from a May 2019 incident.
An Instagram account with over 7,000 followers, which includes Labute’s name in the bio, consists largely of photos of anthropomorphic clay sculptures and dolls depicting gore and rape. The first post appears to have been created on May 1, 2016.
Black Press Media has chosen not to name the account due to the graphic nature of the content.
A YouTube account, also thought to belong to Labute, contains similar content, as well as vulgar discussions of his sexual fantasies, including his wish to ‘lose his virginity to a sex doll’. One video on that account, dated May 14, 2019, shows a man playing with three hamsters. In the video, the man states he bought the hamsters recently.
The description of the video simply reads, “pin stabbed, drowned, microwaved,” though no such content is shown.
A video of the alleged torture of animals is reported to have been posted on Reddit recently, leading to the police getting involved.
“The funny thing about Reddit, it forces people to watch the things you do and ruins their day,” a Twitter account also believed to belong to Labute posted on May 4.
The Kelowna RCMP said they were informed of the video on May 14 and linked it to Labute after investigation. Kelowna Capital News has reached out to Mounties for more information on the social media accounts.
Labute was released after a bail hearing on May 25. He is scheduled to appear in court next on Aug. 25.
READ MORE: Kelowna man charged with animal cruelty
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