A 29-year-old Orangeburg man has made legal history in South Carolina, becoming the first person in the state convicted under the federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. Desmond Levon Brown pleaded guilty this week to “animal crushing,” a federal charge that includes the intentional torture and burning of a living animal.
The conviction stems from a gruesome incident on December 18, 2024, that was captured and broadcast on social media.
The investigation began when the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a Facebook Live video showing a puppy being burned alive. Federal authorities later obtained the footage, which showed Brown holding the puppy above a fire, dropping the animal into the flames, and repeatedly kicking it back into the fire as it burned.
Deputies later discovered the remains of the deceased puppy in a wooded area near the site of the incident. Investigators were able to link the specific fire to Brown through unique evidence: the fire had been started using a specific brand of Caribbean rum that was bottled in Kentucky. Following his arrest, Brown was further implicated by recorded jailhouse phone calls in which he admitted to burning the animal.
Signed into law in 2019, the PACT Act closed a loophole in previous legislation by making extreme animal cruelty a federal felony, regardless of whether the act was captured on video for commercial purposes. U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling described the torture of the puppy as heinous, noting that Brown showed no mercy during the crime. Stirling emphasized that his office intends to remain a leader in protecting animal welfare across South Carolina.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted Brown’s guilty plea. He now faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison, along with a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of court-ordered supervision following his release.
Brown will remain in custody while the U.S. Probation Office prepares a sentencing report. A final sentencing hearing will be scheduled once the report has been reviewed by the court.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
