Pictured: Woman arrested after riding sea turtle faces up to five years in jail
A woman has been arrested after a picture of her riding a sea turtle on a beach in Florida was circulated on social media.
Stephanie Marie Moore, 20, and another woman were pictured on top of the marine animal in Melbourne Beach, prompting a police investigation.
Yesterday, Melbourne Police Department said: "In early July 2015, two females were seen in photographs where they appeared to be sitting or riding on sea turtles. These pictures flooded social media networks and eventually multiple complaints were forwarded to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who handled the criminal investigation.
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"Today, Officers from the Melbourne Police Department responded to a disturbance in progress in the 600 Block of Espanola Way.
"During the course of this investigation, officers encountered a subject with an active felony warrant. The felony warrant was in reference to a county court capias request reference possess, sell, molest marine turtle or eggs nest. The subject was one of the females seen taking photographs on the sea turtles and identified as Stephanie Marie Moore.
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"Moore was arrested on the active warrant and taken to the Brevard County Jail where she will be held on a $2000 bond."
Sea turtles are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida's Marine Turtle Protection Act.
Sitting on the turtles can damage their ribs or sternum.
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