YADKINVILLE -- A 49-year-old Hamptonville man, charged with multiple felony counts of having sex with an underaged girl, frequently called, sent text messages and even took pictures of the child with his cell phone, court documents show.
Tony Gray Sloop, of 4200 Swaims Church Rd., also purchased a separate cell phone for the girl, who was under the age of 13, so he could maintain contact with the alleged victim.
The newly disclosed information is part of a search warrant executed last month by investigators with the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office.
According to the warrant, detectives seized two cell phones they believe contain crucial evidence in their investigation. The phones are being analyzed by experts at the SBI's laboratory in Raleigh.
Sloop, who allegedly had a sexual relationship with the girl from January to April, remains in the Yadkin County Jail with a secured bond set at $250,000. He was arrested in late April, charged by Yadkin County deputies with three felony counts of first degree rape of a child, two felony counts of first degree sex offense of a child, and five felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child.
Sloop, who has no previous criminal convictions, is scheduled to appear next Monday in Yadkin County Superior Criminal Court.
Det. Robin Moxley has said that most of the alleged crimes occurred at Sloop's home in Hamptonville, describing Sloop and the alleged victim as "acquaintances."
According to the search warrant, Sloop admitted to investigators that he had a sexual relationship with the girl. The victim's mother noticed in late April that her daughter was allegedly receiving frequent telephone calls and text messages from Sloop. Those conversations became so noticeable, the warrant says, that they were observed by a youth minister at Peace Haven Baptist Church on a field trip.
In addition to the conversations, Sloop allegedly took pictures of the victim, which he stored on his cell phone, the search warrant says. Local investigators have asked SBI Special Agent Rick Cullop to retrieve files from the phone.
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