SALISBURY — Hendersonville police have charged former Food Lion executive Paul Robert LaCroix, 54, of Concord, with trying to meet someone he believed was an underage girl for sex.

LaCroix had actually been communicating with an undercover police officer, authorities said.

Officials say LaCroix, former vice president of pricing with Salisbury-based Food Lion, was arrested Wednesday night after an ongoing investigation by the Hendersonville Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The arrest was part of participation in the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

LaCroix was charged with conspiracy to commit a first-degree statutory sex offense.

LaCroix is being held in the Henderson County Detention Center in lieu of a $100,000 secured bond.

Detectives with the Hendersonville Police Department are continuing to follow up on investigative leads of this nature.

LaCroix was initially suspended but now is no longer employed with the company, a Food Lion spokeswoman confirmed.

Food Lion had not further comment on the matter, said company spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Hendersonville Police Department at 828-697-3025 or Henderson County CrimeStoppers at 828-697-7867.