An Ohio judge has ordered a convicted poacher to post an apology video on TikTok as part of his sentence for a sprawling illegal hunting operation.
Carter Hickey, 21, pleaded guilty to 17 wildlife crimes after a probe by the US Fish and Wildlife Service found he had hunted illegally across nearly 20 states, slaughtering animals out of season, trespassing on private land, and even using his truck to kill wildlife. The investigation uncovered 115 pounds of illegally harvested turkey meat and 47 whole or partial turkey fans, which officers seized from the young outdoorsman.
Hickey’s sentence includes 15 days in jail, two years of community control sanctions, and 80 hours of community service to be completed within 18 months. He must also pay court costs on every charge within 30 days. The financial penalties total $35,000, broken down into $12,000 in restitution, $5,500 in fines, $11,000 in additional penalties, and a $6,000 payment to keep his pickup truck from being forfeited. A separate $5,000 contribution to the Ohio Turn In a Poacher program was also mandated.
The judge specifically required Hickey to address his social media audience directly on the same platform where he had built his persona. While committing his crimes, Hickey had posted false information on TikTok bragging about his hunting skills and presenting himself as a skilled outdoorsman, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“These weren’t small mistakes,” said service spokesperson Tina Shaw, who noted the breadth of Hickey’s violations and his deliberate efforts to mislead followers online.
Shaw continued, detailing the specific TikTok requirement: “While he was busy poaching, Hickey posted false information about his activities on TikTok, bragging about his hunting skills, despite many of his actions being illegal — because of this, he was required to post an apology on the same channel and was required to write a letter to the City of Dover for trespassing and unlawfully taking a 10-point buck in a public park.”
The Dover incident involved Hickey killing a 10-point buck in a public park, for which he must now apologize in writing to the city. His hunting license has been revoked for five years, effectively barring him from legal hunting through 2030.
As of Sunday, Hickey had not yet posted the court-ordered apology to his TikTok account. The delay leaves open whether the convicted poacher will comply with the unusual social media component of his sentence, which legal observers noted represents a modern twist on traditional court-ordered public apologies.
The case marks a rare instance of a judge leveraging a defendant’s own online platform as a tool for restitution, forcing Hickey to dismantle the hunting influencer persona he constructed while systematically violating wildlife laws across state lines.
Hickey’s community service hours remain to be scheduled.