Former School Resource Officer Charged in Rowan County Child Exploitation Case

A former Rowan County school resource officer has been arrested and charged following an investigation into alleged child sexual abuse material, authorities said.

Austin Tyler Moore, 36, was arrested Dec. 17, 2025, and charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Moore had been employed as a school resource officer with the Spencer Police Department and was assigned to North Rowan Elementary School at the time the investigation began.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation was initiated Oct. 29, 2025, after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities to suspected child sexual abuse material linked to Moore. Investigators executed search warrants at Moore’s residence, his office at the school and on multiple electronic devices.

Moore was removed from duty the same day the investigation was launched, officials said.

As a result of the investigation, Moore was charged with four counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Authorities stated no students from the Rowan-Salisbury School System have been identified as victims in connection with the case.

Moore was taken into custody and booked into the Rowan County Detention Center. His bond was set at $100,000. The case remains under investigation.