Sheriff Darren Campbell stated on October 09/15/2016 Deputy David Price of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit was contacted by Deputy Jason Shumaker, the school resource officer at Harmony Elementary School in reference to a sex offender being on school grounds. Deputy Shumaker stated Mr. Justin Fordyce, a registered sex offender from Maryland who had just registered in Iredell County that day, had come to the school with his girlfriend to register her child for school. Deputy Price arrived at Harmony Elementary School and spoke to the principal Mr. Mehall. He stated he had spoken to Mr. Fordyce that morning and did not learn he was a registered sex offender until after he received the notification email from the N.C. Sex Offender Registry. Principal Mehall stated he observed Mr. Fordyce attempting to pick up his girlfriend’s child that afternoon and he confronted him about not being on school property. Mr. Fordyce admitted to Principal Mehall he knew he was not supposed to be there and left immediately. Deputy Price obtained a written statement and surveillance footage from the security camera of Mr. Fordyce in the school lobby.
After collecting all the evidence from the school Deputy Price made contact with the county in the state of Maryland where Mr. Fordyce had previously resided. Since most states have different sex offender laws than North Carolina, Deputy Price wanted to see if Mr. Fordyce was banned from schools there as well and that he was aware of same. Deputy Price spoke with Detective David Wood of the Annapolis County Police Department and he advised Mr. Fordyce was indeed banned from being on school property and was aware of same. Detective Wood sent a copy of Mr. Fordyce’s Maryland sex offender registration to help with this case. After completing his investigation Deputy Price charged Mr. Fordyce with Sex Offender on School Grounds.
On 10/11/2016 Mr. Fordyce was located and arrested at his residence by Deputy D.C. Wyatt of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division. Mr. Fordyce was transported to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. He was taken before Magistrate Chambers and given a $10,000.00 secured bond. Mr. Fordyce was processed and detained until his bond was met.