Seal harasser faces new charge
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A man who was cited for harassing harbor seals at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla has been charged with threatening the witness who reported the incident to federal authorities.
The case stems from an incident in September when Kent Douglas Trego, 54, was videotaped walking among harbor seals lying on the small beach, causing many of them to disperse.
After he was cited for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Trego sent an e-mail to the witness, threatening revenge and possible death, authorities said.
Trego used an e-mail account called deathtosealwatch@yahoo.com, according to federal prosecutors.
Trego was charged with one count of threatening to retaliate against a federal witness and two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
The small beach is the scene of frequent confrontations between animal rights activists and public access groups who want to reclaim the cove from the seals that gather on the sands to rest and give birth.
-- Richard Marosi
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