Alleged Manatee Molester Cuddles With Animal, Lets Kids Ride It
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Last October, we told you about Ana Gloria Garcia-Gutierrez, the Pinellas County woman who was arrested for hopping on top of a manatee and riding it like it was a horse.
See also:
-Accused Manatee Molester Is on the Loose in St. Petersburg
-Manatee Molester Ana Gloria Garcia-Gutierrez Arrested
And now comes a story that a Fort Pierce man is facing charges for lifting a baby manatee out of the water and letting his kids ride it and holy crap when are people going to learn that manatees are real-life animals and not friggin' plush toys??
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Ryan William Waterman was arrested for allegedly posting photos of himself and his two young kids petting a manatee calf on his Facebook page.
One photo shows Waterman pulling the animal out of the water, and another shows one of his kids sitting on it like one of those coin-operated rides at Walmart.
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As wonderful and neat as it might seem to cuddle with a baby manatee and then have your kids ride it like a pony, it's actually pretty awful. It's also a clear violation of the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which states that it is illegal for people to "intentionally or negligently" attempt to "molest, harass, or disturb any manatee."
So, yes. A dude named Waterman is now officially (allegedly) a manatee molester.
Under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, sea-cow molestation constitutes a second-degree misdemeanor, an offense punishable by a $500 fine or a term of up to 60 days in the county jail.
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