Man accused of setting dog on fire arrested for child rape
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man accused of dousing a dog with gasoline and setting it on fire is now facing charges of child rape.
In February, Quishon Brown, 43, was indicted on the new charges of rape of a child and statutory rape by an authority figure, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
His indictment alleges the child was between the ages of 8 and 13. The offense is alleged to have happened sometime between the last day of 2020 and June 18, 2023.
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It appears he was booked in the Shelby County Jail Monday after a hearing for the animal abuse case. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
In July of 2022, Brown was charged with several counts of aggravated animal abuse after someone shared surveillance video of a dog in flames running through a Nutbush neighborhood.
The one-year-old dog, later named Riona, suffered fourth-degree burns over 60% of her body. She was rescued by Tails of Hope Dog Rescue and treated at Bluff City Veterinary Specialists.
Riona received worldwide attention after videos of her recovery in Memphis were posted on TikTok.
According to a jailhouse telephone recording released by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Brown threatened to shoot reporters who came to his Nutush house. When shown pictures of the burned dog, he reportedly said, “I did her good.”
The international animal protection organization In Defense of Animals has been closely monitoring the Riona case and presented the DA’s office with a letter supporting Brown’s prosecution signed by 15,472 In Defense of Animal supporters.
In Defense of Animals said a plea agreement was reached in the case. WREG contacted the DA’s office and is waiting for a response.
Riona was adopted in June of 2023.
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