Ohio man charged with statutory sex offense; allegedly met 15-year-old on social media before driving to NC
Published 11:37 am Wednesday, March 6, 2024
ROWAN COUNTY — An out-of-state man was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly driving to N.C. to see a 15-year-old that he met online.
Stacy Lee Austin, 49, was charged with statutory sex offense with a child and placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under no bond due to the Pretrial Integrity Act.
According to information from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home south of Salisbury in the central part of the county for a reported breaking and entering in progress.
When they arrived, the resident reportedly informed them that when he got home, he found a male, identified as Austin, inside with the resident’s 15-year-old child.
Investigators discovered that Austin allegedly drove to the victim’s home from Belmont, Ohio, after communicating with the juvenile on a social media application.
During those online conversations, Austin allegedly tried to arrange to pick the juvenile up and while he was at the victim’s home, he performed sexual activities with them.
Investigators located Austin’s underwear in the trashcan of a bathroom in the home along with some of the juvenile’s clothing.
When questioned about the incident, Austin allegedly admitted to the sexual acts in addition to expressing concern about losing his job as owner of a Chick-fil-A location in Ohio.