A rising controversial social media influencer who helped spread the viral “looksmaxxing” trend has avoided jail time after accepting a plea deal in connection to a widely debated alligator shooting broadcast live online. Braden Eric Peters, 20, who goes by the online alias Clavicular, entered a no contest plea to a charge of unlawful firearm discharge at a Florida wildlife sanctuary during a March incident, according to court filings from Friday. The incident that triggered the charges unfolded on March 26, when Peters went live from an airboat in the Everglades Wildlife Management Area, located west of Miami. Footage captured during the livestream shows multiple gunshots being fired into the swamp waters of the conservation area, with online observers alleging the shots were aimed at an alligator. Within hours of the stream circulating online, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed it had opened an investigation into the video showing multiple people on an airboat appearing to fire at a reptile in the protected Everglades ecosystem. Peters was not the only influencer charged in the case. Fellow online personality Andrew Morales, who is known to his followers as “The Cuban Tarzan”, also entered a no contest plea and received an identical sentencing deal to Peters. A third influencer involved in the outing, Yabdiel Anibal Cotto Torres, who uses the online name “Baby Alien”, is scheduled to enter his formal plea in the case on May 20. Under the terms of the plea agreement reached with state prosecutors, Peters will serve six months of probation. Court officials added that the charge will be completely expunged from his criminal record if he successfully meets all the agreement’s requirements: completion of state-approved firearms and wildlife safety training courses, and 20 hours of court-ordered community service that is explicitly banned from being streamed online or monetized for content. Peters’ legal representation has emphasized that his client has taken accountability for his actions. In an official statement provided to the BBC, defense attorney Jeffrey Neiman said the negotiated plea deal fairly reflects the context and details of the March incident. “He is committed to moving forward responsibly and ensuring nothing like this occurs again,” Neiman said, adding that his legal team appreciated the professional handling of the case by the Florida state prosecution and the court. Prior to the final resolution of the case, Neiman had noted that Peters was following directions provided by a licensed airboat guide during the Everglades outing, and confirmed that no people or animals were harmed in the incident despite the unlawful discharge of the weapon. Peters rose to online fame for popularizing the so-called “looksmaxxing” trend, a online subculture where creators document extreme, often controversial lifestyle and cosmetic changes they make to improve their physical appearance, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers across major social platforms for the content.
Looksmaxxing influencer Clavicular reaches deal in alligator shooting case
