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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore

Two US men charged for allegedly using snakes, a lemur and a monkey for exotic photoshoots

United States Eric Goode Maryland
a spider monkey in a tree
A spider monkey wraps its tail around its head on the ground at Botanika Resort on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, on 4 July 2026. Photograph: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Two Baltimore, Maryland, men are facing charges for allegedly using exotic animals – including snakes, a lemur and a spider monkey – in photoshoots featuring three semi-clothed models and a ring of fire in a garage beneath a luxury shopping complex.

Photographer Vernon Crowfey III, the 32-year-old owner of the company Photogeniks, was arrested in Towson, Maryland, on 16 July after an undercover officer arranged a shoot with the animals.

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