Teen caught on video kicking sea lion pleads guilty, faces prison time
Tyler Muehl, 18, pleaded guilty in federal court after a viral video captured him attacking the sea lion at La Jolla Cove.
An 18-year-old man named Tyler Muehl pleaded guilty on Thursday to kicking a sea lion at a San Diego beach, according to prosecutors. The incident was captured on video and has since gone viral. Muehl faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The video shows Muehl approaching the sea lion with his hands raised, as if ready to fight, before kicking it four times.
The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that Muehl admitted to the crime and that the video accurately depicts what happened. Sea lions are protected by federal law, and the maximum penalty for this offense is one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
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