Salt Lake City: A Utah man faces an animal cruelty charge after a Facebook video surfaced showing him eating what appeared to be a live baby rat.

Thirty-one-year-old Andy Ray Harris of Tooele was charged with the misdemeanor in April after authorities viewed the video.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) reported it to police. Peta's Martin Mersereau says the organisation received complaints about the video in March.

Toole authorities say they recognised the man in the video as Harris from his previous interactions with police.

The video shows a man putting what appears to be a tiny, hairless rat in his mouth, chewing it up and swallowing it.

Harris has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A message left for his defense attorney wasn't returned.