Deviant Scots mum at heart of monkey torture ring ‘watched beheading videos' before getting involved in sick plot
Natalie Herron, 39, told fellow sadists how she binged on horrendous online clips of humans being decapitated, boasting: 'It goes beyond a hobby. It's almost a way of life.'
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Her depraved hobby emerged after she was j ailed for helping to lead a worldwide monkey abuse ring, which paid thugs to rip tiny macaques from their mothers in Indonesia then butcher them on camera.
The terrified animals were killed in agonising ways dreamt up by the group, including by crucifixtion, with the videos shared for kicks.
Herron, of Airdrie, opened up to lowlife pals on encrypted messaging apps where she traded her stash of over 1,000 vile images and videos.
She told other fiends: 'It's been a pleasure getting to know you all.
'I've built up a few amazing online relationships.
'Our private mails would have the normies turning in their graves.
'Before I got into monkey hate I always had a fascination for gore. Used to watch beheadings.
'Makes life much brighter knowing I'm not the only one who has monkey serial killer thoughts.
'Watching monkey torture always lulls me to sleep in the best way.'
It is feared Herron has amassed an army of twisted followers, with thousands of others thought to be hooked on animal kill films.
Her harrowing videos also saw young primates being hacked with machetes, dipped in boiling oil and having their skulls drilled.
Katie Price slammed for 'putting puppy in danger' as fans warn 'you need to keep your pets safe!'
Mother-of-two Herron hid her evil obsession by pretending to be an animal lover.
She swapped pictures of pets, describing another brute's Staffie as 'a looker'.
Herron wrote: 'I had a Staffy bef- ore I got my little furrball I have now. Rayne.
'She was the most tender, loving and loyal dog ever. They don't call them 'nanny dogs' for nothing. They're amazing with kids.'
The Scottish Sun yesterday unmasked Herron by printing the first picture of her since she was caged for two years and three months at Airdrie Sheriff Court last Tuesday.
As her group's administrator, she ran polls for monsters to vote on torture methods — including glueing the baby monkeys' hands and feet together before pepper spraying them, or force-feeding them until they died.
She took warped delight when one bewildered primate was stuffed in a jar filled with biting fire ants, telling followers: 'We've got our ants in jars. Phenomenal!'
We can reveal she also boasted how she did not 'give a s**t who knows I hate monkeys' and of her joy at seeing them 'blitzed in a blender and scalped'.
And she bragged to pals about seeing one be crushed and suffocated.
She said gleefully: 'Haven't you seen the video where the cellotape it into a ball? It's awesome.'
And she added: 'People go around as if it's some ardinal sin, like we're committing the worst atrocities by watching monkey abuse vids.'
Herron hid her debauched online life telling cronies family and friends would 'never look at me the same again'.
She said the sadistic circle 'goes beyond a hobby — it's almost a way of life now lol.'
But she was finally snared when US cops took down group ringleader Michael Macartney, 51, whose alias was 'The Torture King'.
Scots cops found 1,084 images and videos of monkey torture on her iPhone.
She admitted possessing and distributing obscene material between October 2021 and September 2022.
But last night campaigners warned her ties to the torture network could have been over a longer period.
Sarah Kite, of advocacy group Action for Primates, said: 'Natalie Herron has been involved in depraved and vile activity.'
'There are thousands of people involved in looking at this type of content, whether it be in any of the private Telegram groups or on Facebook.
'I would be concerned about them having contact with animals or children, seeing what they're capable of and what the sort of things that they enjoy.
'I think it's highly disturbing. I hope more people will be caught.
'I'm sure there'll be more both in the US and hopefully in the UK as well.'
Nina Jackel, of Lady Freethinker, said: 'The torture and killing of helpless, infant macaques is among the most disturbing abuse cases I have seen in more than a decade.'
Detective Inspector Mark Harrison, of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, warned: 'There are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people.'
And the Scottish SPCA said: 'These videos are part of a broader culture of cruelty that must be tackled."
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