Former Loris high school coach charged with sexual battery of student, police say
A former Loris High School coach is facing sexual abuse charges after police say he had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Ronnie Lee Barron, 44, was arrested Monday morning and charged with sexual battery of a student and sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Horry County jail’s website. He has no bond set.
Barron is accused of having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student attending Loris High School, according to Loris Police Chief Gary Buley. He is no longer with the school, according to Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier.
The alleged sexual encounters happened at Barron’s Loris home, Buley said in an emailed statement provided to The Sun News.
Loris police found nude photographs and a video of the victim having sex on Barron’s phone, according to Buley. The photos and video were dated between March and June.
Jail records show Barron was booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center before 9 a.m. Monday.
Barron was a volunteer baseball coach at Loris High School beginning in December 2020, according to Bourcier. As of November 4, he was no longer affiliated with the district, Bourcier told The Sun News.
The alleged relationship between Barron and a student may have originated outside of school, Bourcier said.
Barron is the third person affiliated with the school district to face criminal charges in recent months, and the second to face a sex-based charge.
Earlier this month, a substitute teacher at Myrtle Beach High School was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and accused of offering weed to students. In October, a math teacher at Ocean Bay Middle School was arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 2:42 PM.
