Man in Taiwan under investigation for video of cat being microwaved
A man in Taiwan is suspected of abusing cats after footage of a kitten being microwaved was uploaded to his social media account.
However, the man claimed his account was hacked. Furthermore, police also suspect that the video might be AI-generated.
The police are currently investigating the case.
Cat abuse video allegedly shared on man’s social media account
According to Taiwanese news publication ETtoday, authorities were first alerted to the case when a city councillor from Kaohsiung city received a message from the public in late October.
The message described the video, saying that the cat was completely wet and steaming when it was brought out of the microwave.
Some of its organs were cooked too, the post claimed.
The post also allegedly stated that the original video can be unlocked for a fee.
source: ETtoday
Only empty cage found at man’s home
Police subsequently took the man in for questioning.
However, when officers searched the man’s home, they only found an empty cage. Neither the cat nor the microwave seen in the video was found.
Although no evidence of pet abuse was found, the man admitted to adopting at least four cats and releasing them in the park. One additional cat also escaped on its own.
Authorities are investigating each case individually. Each abandonment case may result in a fine of between NT$30,000 (S$1,250) and NT$150,000 (S$6,300).
Man alleges social media account was hacked
The man has since denied the allegations, claiming his Facebook account was hacked when the animal abuse content was posted.
Police investigations have also found significant discrepancies between the home furnishings in the video and the man’s actual home.
As a result, authorities suspect someone may have used AI to generate such videos to frame the man.
The man has threatened to sue his perpetrators for defamation.
Also read: Community cat found dead at carpark in Choa Chu Kang in suspected vehicular accident
Community cat found dead at carpark in Choa Chu Kang in suspected vehicular accident
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Featured image adapted from ETtoday.
