Metro Atlanta Twitch streamer banned from owning dogs after pleading guilty in animal cruelty case

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A metro Atlanta rapper and streamer will serve time in jail and cannot be around dogs after she pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

Police say Aspen Easterling, 19, was taken into custody in late January in connection with the alleged abuse of a dog at a residence on Town Boulevard in Brookhaven.

Easterling, who goes by "Aspen Kartier" online, was accused of striking a 3-month-old puppy and lifting the small dog by the skin on its back during a Twitch livestream. Detectives say they received multiple complaints from residents who reported seeing a video of the alleged abuse online.

Police say the dog, a 3-month-old Maltipoo, was found at the home and appeared to be in good health. DeKalb County Animal Control responded to the scene and took custody of the animal.

Court records obtained by CBS News Atlanta showed that Easterling agreed to a non-negotiated guilty plea for one count of cruelty to animals. A second count was dropped.

A judge ordered her to spend 10 days in the DeKalb County Jail, minus two days that she already served, followed by a year of probation.

Easterling was also ordered to pay more than $3,300 in restitution to LifeLine Animal Project as well as complete 100 hours of community service and an animal cruelty education and prevention program.

As part of her probation, she is banned from owning, possessing custody, or being in the presence of dogs.

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