Ohio Chic-fil-A restaurant owner is arrested after 'driving 400 miles to have sex with a 15-year-old' and leaving his underwear in a garbage can when he was caught in the home by the teen's parents

An Ohio Chick-fil-A owner has been arrested after he allegedly dove over 400 miles to have sex with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina before he was caught by the teenager's parents.

Stacey Lee Austin, 49,  made the drive on March 5 from Belmont, Ohio to Rowan County, North Carolina. 

According to the local sheriff's office, he had been making contact with the child via social media and made plans to pick her up. 

He arrived at the teenager's home and was found and allegedly 'performed sexual activities with them.' He was then caught in the home by the teen's parents. 

Authorities arrived at the home to find Austin's underwear in a trash can in the bathroom of the home.

An Ohio Chick-fil-A owner has been arrested after he allegedly dove over 400 miles to have sex with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina before he was caught by the teenager's parent

Stacey Lee Austin, 49, made the drive on March 5 from Belmont, Ohio to Rowan County, North Carolina

Austin said he was nervous about losing his Chick-fil-A franchise, which he has run in St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the past four years, according to his LinkedIn page

Officers eventually questioned Austin and he admitted to having engaged in sexual activities with the child. 

He then said he was nervous about losing his Chick-fil-A franchise, which he has run in St. Clairsville for the past four years, according to his LinkedIn page. 

The ability to own a Chick-fil-A is notoriously difficult, with less than half-of-one percent of applicants approved by the chicken giant, according to Business Insider.

Candidates go through a rigorous process that features interviews with the applicant, their friends, families and business partners and then take a multi-week training process.

They are also asked to participate on a day-to-day basis in the running of their franchise. 

Chick-fil-A said in a statement about Austin: 'We have zero tolerance for the type of serious conduct alleged.' 

Stacy Austin currently is an independent franchise owner, but as the investigation and legal process continues, he will not be present in the restaurant,' they added.

Austin was charged with a statutory sex offense with a child, according to officials.