KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, man charged with animal cruelty for kicking a cat like a football at Center High School in a video posted on social media accepted a plea Friday in Jackson County Court.
Johnathan Taylor, 20, will spend two years on probation after prosecutors agreed to suspend imposition of his two-year sentence as part of a plea deal.
Video of the incident first appeared May 22, 2018, on Snapchat.
After it was brought to the attention of the school’s principal, the video was forwarded to the Kansas City Police Department and KCMO Animal Health and Public Safety, which launched an investigation.
Taylor was identified and charged in September 2018.
In addition to the two years of probation, Taylor must perform 80 hours of community service at an animal shelter and donate $500 to KC Pet Project. He's also barred from owning or living with animals while on probation.
According to court records, the cat was found dead at the school in May 2018, and Taylor had been a student at Center.
