Child care center worker charged sexual exploitation of minor in Moore County; bond $1M

ROBBINS, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Moore County man was arrested after an investigation into a sex crime involving a child, Sheriff Ronnie Fields said Thursday.

The investigation came after a tip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

On Wednesday, the Moore County Sheriff's Office, assisted by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and members of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (NCICAC) Task Force, executed a search warrant in the 2800 block of Plank Road in Robbins.

Ryan Michael Olufs, 40, of Robbins, was arrested and charged with one count of felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of felony third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to Southern Pines Academy's website, Olufs is employed at a child care center owned by his wife, in Moore County. The website says they've owned the daycare since 2018.

Olufs was booked into the Moore County Detention Center under a $1 million secured bond.

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The investigation remains active, Fields said, and additional charges are expected.

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