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Warrant: Forged school note tipped authorities to alleged sex crimes involving Franklin teen

Two men facing charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy met the teen online and would often pick him up from school, according to a search warrant in the case.

Posted Updated

By
Kasey Cunningham
, WRAL reporter
APEX, N.C. — Two men facing charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy met the teen online and would often pick him up from school, according to a search warrant in the case.
Justin Wade Thompson, 37, of 308 S. Blount St. in Raleigh, and Ryan James Milewski, 33, of 1510 Brooklyn Road in Apex, were charged last week with statutory sexual offense with a child and indecent liberties with a child.

According to the application for a warrant to search Milewski's home, the teen's mother found a note in a trash can allowing the teen to leave school with someone other than his parents. The teen's father's signature was forged on the note.

The mother also found numerous text messages between the teen and Thompson and Milewski before she went to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in late October with her suspicions of sex assault involving her son, according to the warrant application.

The teen told investigators that he met both men through the online dating app Grindr in July, and he spent a weekend with them at Milewski's home. After that, he said, they would often pick him up in Franklin County and would sometimes even attend his high school marching band competitions. He also sent both men nude pictures of himself.

The teen said the men bought him an Apple watch and clothing in exchange for sex, according to the search warrant application.

Franklin County Schools said in a statement that administrators were able to account for any absences the teen had from school. They said they handed all of the information over to investigators.

Thompson and Milewski remain in the Wake County jail under $2 million and $2.1 million bonds, respectively.

"This is an opportunity for parents and care providers to be aware of what their children are doing online and monitor their internet activity," Apex police Capt. Mitchell McKinney said in an email.

If parents think their children are involved in illicit activity online, they should contact authorities, police said.

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