Former Loris coach charged with sexual battery of student was also a youth pastor

A former Loris High School coach that is facing sexual abuse charges for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student was also a local youth pastor, church leadership confirmed.

Ronnie Lee Barron, 44, was arrested earlier this month and charged with sexual battery of a student and sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Horry County detention center website.

Barron has since resigned from Loris First Presbyterian Church as a youth director. It is not clear how long he served in the role.

Timothy Osment, who is the pastor at the church, emailed a statement to The Sun News:

“We have been made aware of the recent allegations of inappropriate conduct by our former youth director and have reported them to the appropriate authorities. The church leadership immediately accepted his resignation. We are cooperating in their investigation to the best of our ability. Given that this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further. We would welcome you to join us in prayer for all the involved individuals.”

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 spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier.

The alleged sexual encounters happened at Barron’s Loris home, Buley said in an emailed statement to The Sun News.

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.

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, she added.

The alleged relationship between Barron and a student may have originated outside of school, Bourcier said.