Authorities say that a Wake Forest man was arrested on child sex charges after the teen victim was found nearly nude hiding under his Volkswagen in 2018.
The 53-year-old suspect, Ronan Thomas Hanlon, of Wake Forest, communicated with the 15-year-old boy victim on Grindr, according to court documents.
The incident was reported at 12:05 a.m. Sept. 3, 2018, at the end of Flash Drive in Rolesville, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Hanlon was found by Rolesville police in the dark at the dead-end road and claimed he was “looking at the stars,” the affidavit said.
The 15-year-old victim was discovered hiding under Hanlon’s Jetta and was nude — only wearing a school jacket, according to the affidavit.
The pair earlier engaged in oral sex and the suspect fondled the victim’s genitals, the affidavit said.
During an investigation, police said the pair had been communicating via Instagram and Grindr for about a week before the meeting on the dead-end street.
The communication included the victim agreeing to model a G-string for Hanlon during a previous meeting, the affidavit said. A second meeting was set up for Sept. 3, 2018, for the teen to model a wrestling outfit for Hanlon, the affidavit said.
Rolesville police later seized Hanlon’s Samsung cellphone for a search of files and data.
Hanlon was charged with indecent liberties with a child and statutory sex offense with a child under 15.
