A Spanish porn star has been charged with murder after a photographer died from inhaling psychedelic toad vapour during a shaman ceremony.
Nacho Vidal, 47, is said to have provided and administered the Colorado River Toad venom to Jose Luis Abad at his home in Enguera, Valencia.
The incident is said to have happened in July 2019 when Vidal, who starred in over 600 X-rated films, was allegedly trying to help fashion photographer Jose overcome a cocaine addiction.
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According to the MailOnline, the judge explained his decision to charge Vidal, saying that he had failed to provide the necessary precautions, just in case the ceremony went wrong.
At the time of Vidal's arrest, the Spanish Civil Guard said: "Officers began the investigation after the death of a person during a mystical ritual involving the inhalation of vapours from the venom of the bufo alvarius toad.
"At the conclusion of an 11-month investigation, we have been able to establish that an offence of involuntary manslaughter and a public health offence had occurred, allegedly committed by those who organised and presided over the ritual."
The toad is a rare species that originates from the Sonoran Desert, which covers large parts of Mexico, California and Arizona. It has venom which contains a very powerful natural psychedelic substance known as 5-MeO-DMT.
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It's a different substance to the recreational psychedelic drug DMT, and is said to be four to six times stronger. It also has far less of the visuals characteristic of DMT.
The effects of the drug have been compared to ayahuasca, which is a strong hallucinogenic creation from the Amazon, which is often consumed as part of a shamanic ritual.
Vidal's lawyer, Daniel Salvador, denied the porn star had acted as a shaman in the ritual.
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Speaking to Spanish news agency EFE when his client was arrested, he said: "Nacho is very upset by the death of this person, but he considers himself to be innocent.
"With all due respect to the dead man and his family, Nacho maintains that the consumption [of the venom] was completely voluntary."
Featured Image Credit: PA