Who is the Ohio Chick-fil-A franchise owner charged with child sex offenses?

On March 5, 2024, in Rowan County, North Carolina, police responded to a call that a break-in was in progress at a local residence. The resident who called them said an adult male was with his 15-year-old kid inside the kid’s room.

But as the police would later learn, there wasn’t a robbery in progress, as was reported. The man inside the house was 49-year-old Stacy Lee Austin from Belmont, Ohio, who reportedly owns a Chick-fil-A franchise in nearby St. Clairsville, Ohio. Austin met the teenager on a social media app and arranged to drive more than 400 miles from Ohio to pick the child up and then sexually abuse them in their home, according to The Intelligencer.

Stacy Lee Austin admitted everything

Once Rowan County police arrived at the home where they thought a break-in was happening, Stacy Lee Austin, who was originally from that part of North Carolina, told them everything and admitted that sexual abuse had taken place. Austin’s chief concern was losing his job as a Chick-fil-A franchise owner. To date, the name of the minor and the family involved have not been revealed in the press.

After Stacy’s arrest, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said,

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for the type of serious conduct alleged. Stacy Austin is currently an independent franchise owner, but as the investigation and legal process continues, he will not be present in the restaurant.”

via QCNews.com

Once arrested, Austin was held at the Rowan County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. As of this report, he was expected to appear in court on June 5, 2024.