The Vancouver man convicted of animal cruelty after videotaping himself torturing a kitten for more than 50 minutes will serve jail time, but he’s only prohibited from owning animals for two years.

Jordan Lucas, 29, was sentenced to 17 months in jail and two years of probation during a Vancouver court appearance Tuesday. He received a credit of 10 months for time already served.

Lucas was originally charged in July 2012 when a woman who purchased a cell phone discovered an animal abuse video showing only a man’s tattooed hands torturing a black and white kitten.

The abuse included throwing the tiny feline against furniture, punching, slapping, strangling, asphyxiation and spinning the animal around with a cord around its neck.

At several points during the video the kitten groaned, cried and appeared to be injured and disoriented. The video was turned over the BC SPCA shortly after.

The Vancouver Police Department assisted the agency in tracing the cell phone, and then matched the tattoo to the suspect.

Lucas was charged with two more counts of animal cruelty last month after another 36 videos of five cats and a mouse being tortured and killed were found. It is believed the videos were taken over a period of just two months.

Marcie Moriarty, head of cruelty investigations for the BC SPCA, said the “horrific” incidents are the most disturbing her senior staff have ever seen.

“Rarely do we see the type of intentional violence inflicted on animals,” she told CTV News. “It is disturbing and sick.”

Moriarty is applauding the judge for handing down a 17-month jail sentence -- one of the strictest given for animal cruelty in B.C. history.

But the agency feels a lifetime ban on possessing animals should have been imposed, given the “vicious and intentional” nature of the abuse.

“This certainly warranted a lifetime ban,” said Moriarty. “I can only hope that after he is released from prison he won’t get an animal.”

Lucas has a lengthy criminal record including convictions for assault, robbery and uttering threats.