Deputies: Chick-fil-A Owner Charged With Statutory Sex Offense Involving Child In Rowan County

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. – Rowan County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a 49-year-old man and charged him with statutory sex offense with a child, according to a news release.

The release states that on March 5, 2024, deputies with the Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a resident who found a 49-year-old man, later identified as Stacy Austin, inside with the resident’s 15-year-old child.

Upon further investigation, deputies say they determined that Austin drove from Belmont, Ohio to pick up the juvenile and performed sexual activities with them inside the victims home. Deputies also Austin and the victim were communicating on a social media app.

The release further states that Austin’s underwear was found in the trashcan inside the residence along with some of the juvenile’s clothing. Austin admitted to the sexual acts after questioning and was concerned about losing his job as an owner of a Chick-fil-A in Ohio, as said by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.