South Carolina Man Who Was Caught On Camera Brutally Beating Dog Pleads Guilty

KEY POINTS

A video circulating on social media showed the accused brutally abusing the dog
Following an investigation, the accused was taken into custody
Six dogs were seized from his home

A South Carolina man, who was caught on camera brutally beating a dog with a pole, has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.

A video circulating on social media since June showed 49-year-old Marcell Riggins tying up a dog and brutally abusing the canine with a pole. The dog was seen jumping repeatedly to avoid being hit.

After receiving several reports from social media users, the Horry County Police Department began an investigation. The investigators arrived at the accused’s home Friday and seized six dogs, News 13 reported. The condition of the dog that was abused by Riggins was not known.

Meanwhile, Riggins was taken into custody from his residence in the Conway area and charged with animal cruelty.

The Horry County Animal Care Center said in a statement Monday the accused has pleaded guilty to the charges.

"As an update to an animal abuse case we shared last month that stemmed from video appearing to show a dog being abused with a stick or pole: Marcell Riggins, 49, of Conway, today was found guilty of animal cruelty charges in front of Magistrate Judge Arakas. It was determined the dog was subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering," the statement said. "We want thank our partners in enforcement for continuing to advocate for animals, and the community members who shared tips and sparked the investigation with social media posts."

The six canines that were rescued from the accused’s home were not available for rescue adoption at the time.

According to the South Carolina law, animal cruelty can be defined as maliciously and intentionally wounding, torturing, mutilating a living animal, intentionally killing an animal, and depriving them of food and shelter. If found guilty, the accused can be fined $5,000, or face a 5-year jail sentence, or both.

Last month, a dog in India died after it was tied to a motorbike and dragged along a road by two women. When a few children stopped the women, they left the vehicle and fled the scene.