Marine recruiter accused of sex crimes

A recruiter for the Marine Corps faces sex charges in an investigation prompted by text messages sent to Moore County high school students, authorities said Monday.

Posted 11:15 p.m. Apr 18, 2011 — Updated 11:30 p.m. Apr 18, 2011

CARTHAGE, N.C. — A recruiter for the Marine Corps faces sex charges in an investigation prompted by text messages sent to Moore County high school students, authorities said Monday.

Mitchell Grant Autrey, 27, of 701 Sams Way in Aberdeen, was charged Friday with three counts of cyberstalking and one count each of statutory rape, indecent liberties with a child, sexual battery, felonious restraint, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and soliciting a child by computer to commit a sex act. He was being held in the Moore County jail under a $100,000 bond.

Moore County Schools officials contacted deputies last week about improper text messages being sent to high school students after school.

Deputies interviewed some students, and three girls, ages 16, 17 and 19, said that they were being stalked online. A 15-year-old student from Cameron told deputies that she had had sex with an older man who held her against her will.

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