California teen pleads guilty, faces prison sentence after viral video showed him kicking a protected sea lion

A California teenager caught on federal video kicking a protected sea lion at La Jolla Cove has pleaded guilty, bringing the case toward sentencing. Tyler Muehl, 18, of La Jolla, entered the plea in federal court regarding a June 22 incident in which prosecutors said he repeatedly kicked toward a sea lion resting on a seawall. He pleaded guilty to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Under the plea agreement, he acknowledged striking the animal four separate times, accepting a charge that he knowingly and unlawfully took a marine mammal in U.S.-jurisdiction waters by harassing and hunting it. The maximum penalty is up to one year in custody and a fine up to $100,000, with sentencing scheduled for October 20.