HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β A 27-year-old Chesterfield man has been arrested on animal cruelty charges after police say he posted videos of cats in distress online to solicit money from the public.
Rodney Travis Jr. was arrested Friday at his Chesterfield home and charged with one count of animal cruelty. He is being held at Henrico County Jail West.
The case began Thursday evening when Henrico Police received a tip from the Attorney General's Office and Chesterfield County Animal Control Officers about a potential scammer posting content of distressed cats online while attempting to collect donations from viewers.
Henrico detectives launched an investigation and, through community tips and multi-agency cooperation, located where the content was being produced, police said.
Police seized several cats from the location. The animals are receiving veterinary care, according to officials.
Investigators continue processing evidence collected at the scenes.
"This is an active investigation and additional charges are forthcoming," officials with Henrico Police said in a news release Sunday.
Police urged anyone with information about the case to call Henrico Police at 804-501-5000. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or by using P3tips.com.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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