By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A baby-faced Somali pirate pleaded guilty to hijacking a comercial U.S. ship and kidnapping its captain in Manhattan Court on Tuesday.
Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, whose age was disputed in court, admitted to seizing the Maersk Alabama, a U.S. vessel carrying humanitarian supplies off the coast of Somalia, and capturing its captain, Richard Phillips, according court documents.
"What we did was wrong," the remorseful, sometimes weepy, pirate said through an interpreter, according to the Associated Press. "I am very, very sorry about what we did. All of this was about the problems in Somalia."
Though prosecutors convinced a judge that Muse was at least 18, his attorneys claimed that the 5-foot-2 Somali seaman was only 15.
He faces a maximum sentence to up to 34 years when he is sentenced on Oct. 19.
Muse told the court that he and the three other men agreed to "capture any ship that came by." He claimed he did not recognize the U.S. flag on the Maersk Alabama.
Philips was held hostage for four days in the life boat by Muse and three other pirates. A U.S. Navy destroyer came to the assistance of the vessel.
Four days after the hijacking began, Muse boarded the destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, and demanded safe passage for himself and his crew in exchange for Phillips' release, according to a criminal complaint.
Navy SEALS shot and killed the three other pirates on the lifeboat while Muse was negotiationg on board the Bainbridge.
