He was sentenced to 50 years on Monday; Richards pleaded guilty and may receive a reduced sentence if she cooperates in an unrelated case

Justice tried to argue that he was following Old Testament scriptures

A Houston man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for filming animal torture fetish videos showing puppies, kittens and other small creatures being mutilated, stabbed and decapitated.

Brent Justice, 54, who was convicted of cruelty to non-livestock animals, tried to argue that he was following Old Testament scripture after one video of a puppy being dismembered was shown as evidence in court.

He was arrested in 2012 with Ashley Nicole Richards, 25, who appeared in the so-called 'animal crush' videos.

Justice would produce the films showing a lingerie-clad Richards, who used meat cleavers, household tools and high-heeled shoes to torture animals while making 'sexually-charged' statements.

Brent Justice, 54, was charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals and sentenced to 50 years in prison on Monday for his role in the production of animal torture fetish videos

One of their videos shows Richards stepping on a cat's eye with a pair of high heels.

Crush fetish videos are a subgenre of porn for people who are sexually aroused by the torture and killing of small animals. These videos are often marketed as religious rituals or sacrifices to evade animal cruelty laws.

Justice and Richards were the first people to be charged under the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which was signed by President Obama in 2010.

They produced dozens of videos between 2010 and 2012.

Justice, who pleaded not guilty, rejected three different attorneys and decided to represent himself during the trial.

One of the videos that he produced was submitted as evidence and played in court.

It showed a scantily-clad Richards wearing a mask and decapitating a puppy before urinating on the animal's dead body.

Justice, who produced and sold the clip, reportedly said: 'Even watching the video myself, I was alarmed.'

He tried to argue that the puppy in the video was killed in adherence to Old Testament regulations.

Rabbi Mark Urkowitz was brought in to explain that Biblical scripture considers dogs ritually unclean, and only animals that chew their cud and have split hooves are considered kosher.

Prosecutor Jessica Milligan presented evidence that showed Justice had already conceived of the fetish business by the time he met Richards and roped her in, according to the Houston Press.

While Richards appeared in front of the camera, beheading puppies and cutting off their limbs, Justice was the brains behind the operation, she argued.

The court heard that he oversaw the advertising and promotion and grew the client base, who would make specific video requests.

Milligan portrayed Justice as a predator who took advantage of the vulnerable Richards. The 25-year-old testified that she was sexually abused as a child and attempted suicide four or five times before she ran away and lived on the streets.

After she met Justice on a phone chatline, the pair began living together, often staying with family members or sleeping in cars.

They started making the videos by stomping on crawfish and crabs, before moving on to more extreme tactics, the court heard.

Prosecutor Jessica Milligan argued in court that Justice had already conceived of the fetish business by the time he met Ashley Richards, 25, (pictured) and roped her in

In court, after his motion for a mistrial was denied, he delayed the proceedings by complaining about chest pains.

He also said he thought he was being treated unfairly against two seasoned attorneys, even though he fired all three of his appointed lawyers.

Both Justice and Richards were arrested in 2012, after an animal welfare group found a video they had produced, and realized from clues in the background that it was made in Houston.

They contacted PETA, and the Houston Police Department pinpointed the two within 24 hours of conducting an investigation.

Richards has been in state custody for three years. In 2014, she received a 10-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of animal cruelty.

She pleaded guilty to federal charges under the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act and faces up to seven years in prison. She may be able to get a reduced sentence if she cooperates in a separate human trafficking case.

In 2013, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake dismissed the five counts of video creation and distribution against Richards and Justice, citing the films as protected free speech under the First Amendment.