Gaston County man arrested, charged with more than a dozen child sex crimes

The Gaston County Police Department arrested a Bessemer City man on Thursday and charged him with a dozen counts of child sex crimes.

Ronnie Stafford is charged with six felony counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor and six felony counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the department.

Detectives say Stafford was identified as part of an internet crimes against children case. Officers arrested him Thursday morning after charging him Wednesday.

Stafford is in custody at the Gaston County Jail on a $252,500 secured bond, according to the department.

Gaston County Police Chief Stephen Zill praised the work of investigators on the case.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to identify and hold accountable those who seek to harm children. The arrest of this suspect is a testament to the dedicated and skilled work of our detectives and fugitive team,” Zill said in a statement.

This story was originally published June 2, 2023 at 10:04 AM.

Kallie Cox

The Charlotte Observer

Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription