A Virginia man who abused cats to generate fake social media appeals for donations has received the state’s harshest animal-cruelty sentence after online investigators from around the world helped police identify him.
Rodney Travis Jr., 27, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Henrico County Circuit Court to animal cruelty and computer fraud charges. Prosecutors said he harmed roughly 20 cats. Under the plea agreement, reported by Courthouse News, Travis will serve 15 years in prison.
He allegedly filmed the abuse and uploaded the footage to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube while falsely claiming the cats had cancer.
Travis then used the videos to ask viewers for financial help. Investigators said he recorded some of the footage inside three Henrico-area hotels.
Henrico Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dylan McAuley said Travis was exposed through the efforts of online investigators in several countries and states. People in France, the United Kingdom, Arizona, California and Florida documented the videos, traced his activity and alerted authorities.
McAuley said police arrested Travis roughly one day after citizen investigators passed their findings to law enforcement.
Prosecutors estimate that Travis collected more than $400,000 through the alleged scheme, which began in 2023.
His posts included emotional captions such as “I don’t want to lose my best friend” and “she’s all I have,” according to the outlet.
Rodney Travis Jr., 27, pleaded guilty Wednesday to animal cruelty and computer fraud after prosecutors said he abused about 20 cats
Authorities removed six cats from Travis’ apartment, but investigators said the number of animals he harmed was much higher
Travis allegedly posted footage of abused cats while falsely claiming they were suffering from cancer
According to the report, police learned that Travis had checked into a hotel at about 2 a.m. on February 13 before departing just before 10 a.m.
The Henrico Citizen reported that he had previously stayed at Home2 Suites in September, Residence Inn Short Pump Northwest in November and Candlewood Suites in January.
Investigators found cat hair and blood inside one of the hotel rooms, evidence that helped them obtain a search warrant for Travis’ apartment.
Six cats were rescued from the residence. Authorities said the animals had been given gabapentin, and one died before reaching veterinary care.
The surviving cats showed severe injuries, including cuts on their paws, broken bones and other trauma.
One cat, Vivi, had a crushed skull and died on the way to the veterinarian, the outlet reported.
Police also discovered cat beds stained with blood, along with a leather book containing curses and traces of cat blood and fur.
Inside the apartment, investigators found 12 devices allegedly used in the fraud. Prosecutors said the money helped support Travis’ music career.
A whiteboard found at the property reportedly outlined how the animal-abuse donation scheme was carried out.
One of the cats used and beaten by Travis in the fraudulent scheme was a gray tabby named Hayden, according to prosecutors
Travis would pretend that the cute pets had cancer but was actually abusing them
MORE ON THIS: US Embassy Alerted Russia About Potential Terrorist Strike, But Putin Disregarded the Warning – NewsFinale
A veterinarian ruled that the cats experienced blunt forced trauma, according to prosecutors cited by the outlet.
Later, investigators found the body of a separate cat, named Nara, in a landfill.
Travis stepped on the animal’s head and crushed its skull, according to prosecutors.
The court was also shown video of Travis laughing in the face of a wounded cat, the outlet reported.
McAuley called Travis’s actions ‘sadistic’ and ‘very, very extensive.’
‘But what adds to that is the fact that it was not only just done out of cruelty,’ McAuley said. ‘It’s done for money, and for what seems to be amusement.’
McAuley added that 15 years could be compared to a murder sentence.
‘While they’re not people, these lives do matter, and I think any person can appreciate that killing and torturing a living thing speaks about the danger that person poses to the community,’ he continued.
Travis had previously been arrested in February.
Prosecutors said that Travis had tortured 26 cats in Virginia, with 18 cats presumed to be dead
Travis turned down an opportunity to speak at the hearing. His plea agreement was accepted by Henrico County Circuit Judge Linda Lambert.
Travis, who lives in neighboring Chesterfield County, also pleaded guilty to similar charges there on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Travis’s father, Rodney Travis Sr, also adopted several cats for his son.
He has pleaded guilty to lesser charges for his involvement in Chesterfield.
Travis tortured 26 cats in Virginia, according to prosecutors cited by WWBT.
Two cats were confirmed to be dead, while another 18 other cats were presumed to be.
Investigators described videos in which a gray striped tabby cat named Hayde seemed to be bleeding from his mouth and nose, per the outlet.
The Cat’s Cradle shelter said Travis had used fake names and disguises to adopt two cats, posing under the name Morgan Maxwell.
Travis later returned and demanded another cat, which set off alarms among the rescuers who refused to return her to him.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for comment.