SALISBURY — A man who already has previous convictions of sexually abusing children has been charged in a new case on the day he was released from prison.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Dale Edwards, 37, of Salisbury, was previously convicted of the sexual abuse of two Davidson County teenagers ages 13 and 15 between 2010 and 2011. That conviction meant Edwards had to register as a sex offender.

Investigators say they received a report in January of 2024 that an 11-year-old child had been sexually abused by Edwards in 2023. Investigators partnered with the Rowan County Department of Social Services and the Terrie Hess House Child Advocacy Center and in April of 2024, obtained warrants for Edwards’ arrest. That arrest was delayed until his release from prison, and on March 15, instead of being released as originally planned, Edwards was transferred to custody of RCSO.

He was charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and given a $350,000 secured bond.

In 2015, a Davidson County sheriff’s deputy alleged Edwards appeared at a day care in Lexington, a violation of the sex offender registry, and was charged with five counts of felony sex offender/child premises. He received a $5,000 secured bond in that case. Edwards was reportedly on the premises of Lexington Daycare at 1601 E. Center St. Ext. five times between Dec. 1, 2014, and Jan. 26 of 2015.

In 2018, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office deputies again arrested Edwards after he was found illegally at West Davidson high school. He was charged, once again, with felony sex offender on child premises.