The middle-aged owner of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Ohio reportedly drove across multiple states to rape a 15-year-old boy, only to be caught by his parents when they returned home.
Stacey Lee Austin, 49, was arrested and charged Tuesday with a statutory sex crime for having an illicit relationship with a teenage girl at her home in North Carolina, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said.
Police were initially called by the homeowner to reports of a break-in in progress; WBNS reports –But this crime turned out to be more alarming.
When investigators arrived, one of the homeowners said they found a man inside the home with a 15-year-old child.
Austin allegedly admitted to having sex with the boy inside the home, and officers found his underwear and some of the boy’s clothing in a trash can in the bathroom, local broadcasters said. .
Deputies say he formed an online relationship with a 15-year-old boy after exchanging messages on social media and drove from Ohio to North Carolina to meet.
After he allegedly confessed, Austin told officers he was worried about losing his job as a Chick-fil-A franchise owner.
He is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center without bail, according to jail records.
