Chavez Jay Edwards pleaded guilty to serious animal cruelty

A young farmer who filmed himself using a flamethrower to kill a protected animal has faced court for animal cruelty after a tip-off to police.

Chavez Jay Edwards pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.

A young farmer who used a flamethrower to kill a sand goanna at Talegalla Weir earlier this year has been sentenced in court.

Chavez Jay Edwards faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on June 10, 2025, pleading guilty to serious animal cruelty and taking a protected animal.
According to court documents, Mr Edwards trapped a sand goanna at his property in Talegalla Weir then used a flamethrower to kill it.

Edwards, aged 27, filmed the incident on March 28, with police later notified by an anonymous informant on March 31.

Chavez Jay Edwards pleaded guilty to serious animal cruelty and taking a protected animal.

The sand goanna, also known commonly as Gould’s monitor, the racehorse goanna, and the sand monitor, is a species of large Australian monitor lizard.

Sand goannas, like all monitor lizards in Australia, are protected under various state and federal laws.

Following investigations, Edwards was located at the Talegalla Drive residence on April 8 before he was charged with the two offences.

Chavez was sentenced to three months in prison, wholly suspended for 12 months.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Chavez Jay Edwards pleaded guilty to serious animal cruelty