Father, son both face dogfighting charges after search of Beaufort County home
Two weeks after arresting a Beaufort County man for an alleged dogfighting operation at his Seabrook home, state police have charged the suspect’s son with a long list of similar charges.
Burton man Justinn Benjamin Moultrie, 29, was charged Tuesday morning with nine violations of South Carolina’s Animal Fighting and Baiting Act and nine counts of mistreatment of animals. All his charges are felonies except for one count of mistreatment of animals, which was filed as a misdemeanor.
His father, 54-year-old Spencer Lamont Moultrie, was jailed Aug. 11 for a smaller collection of alleged felonies: one violation of the animal fighting act and one count of animal mistreatment.
It was not immediately clear if Justinn Moultrie’s charges stemmed from the same location and animals that were used to charge his father. SLED had not released the second suspect’s arrest warrants as of Tuesday afternoon.
Agents specialized in dogfighting from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division searched Spencer Moultrie’s property in the Seabrook area Aug. 11 and seized 10 pit bull-type dogs that were found outside the home.
Nine of those dogs had scarring “consistent with organized dogfighting” based on a veterinarian’s findings, according to Spencer Moultrie’s arrest warrants. Investigators also reportedly found multiple items associated with dogfighting at the property on Claudia Lane, but it was not specified what the items were.
All 10 dogs were handed over to the Humane World for Animals nonprofit, whose personnel accompanied SLED agents during the search. The animals, along with eight other dogs recently taken from another alleged dogfighting ring in Simmonsville, S.C., were taken to HWA’s care center in Maryland for treatment.
Photos from the nonprofit showed the dogs chained up in a dirt clearing surrounded by woods outside the home. Some made use of barrels and other makeshift shelters that had been left on the property.
Justin Moultrie was arrested a week after SLED petitioned him to cover expenses related to the 10 animals seized from his father’s home. The agency asked for an initial payment of about $31,600 followed by monthly payments of about $16,700 to cover costs including the dogs’ transportation, vaccines, medications and X-rays, according to court filings.
The petition had not been approved by a judge as of Tuesday, according to Beaufort County court records.
Justin Moultrie remained in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center as of Tuesday afternoon. His father, following his arrest Aug. 11, was released the same day without being required to pay bail.
Dogfighting across South Carolina
The Moultries’ arrests come as South Carolina continues its new crackdown against the underground world of animal fighting. SLED formed its Dogfighting Unit in 2023, prompting an immediate uptick in the number of arrests and of animals rescued.
Last year, 60 people were arrested and 231 dogs were rescued from suspected fighting rings in 16 counties across the Palmetto State. Beaufort and Jasper counties were not included in the list of jurisdictions with recent cases.
In its 2024 report, the Animal Legal Defense Fund recognized South Carolina as the “most improved” state in regards to animal protection laws.
If you have information regarding suspected dog fighting in South Carolina, report it to the SLED Dogfighting Unit at tips@sled.sc.gov.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM.
