George Bush avoids jail for selling monkey skulls on eBay and possessing animal porn

A man form South East London has been sentenced after admitting selling a number of primate body parts online – including four monkey skulls – and possessing images of bestiality. George Bush, 63, of Erith, was convicted of offering to sell the body parts of 134 endangered species.

Bush was also convicted of trading in endangered animal parts, such as the skeleton of an infant crab-eating macaque and the skulls of male leopards, on eBay and being in possession of 71 extreme pornographic images.

After admitting the charges, he was sentenced to 14 months in jail – suspended for two years – at Woolwich Crown Court. Following information received from the UK Border Force, Bush was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Wildlife Crime Unit and Bexley Borough on 24 January 2014 on suspicion of selling illegally imported protected species on eBay.

Detective constable Sarah Bailey, of the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit, said:"This case shows that strong controls are in place to protect endangered species and the police will take action against anyone found to be trading illegally.

"Illegal trade threatens many species' survival. I would urge anyone who sees specimens from protected wildlife for sale to contact police. We are committed to ensuring that anyone in London who is trading illegally in endangered animal parts is stopped."

Grant Miller, lead for the Border Force Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, added: "As the variety of species involved in this case shows, the illegal movement of endangered wildlife is part of an illicit and often cruel trade that Border Force, together with our partners in the UK and internationally, is determined to stop. Those illegally trading in wildlife products should be in no doubt – we will target you at the UK border and beyond."

The Wildlife Crime Unit identified the illegal supplier of the endangered species in Indonesia and this individual was dealt with by the East Java police.