A former Dispatch sports editor accused of exploitation is out of custody after posting bond at the DeSoto County Jail.
Ronald Scott Walters, 47, was transferred from Oktibbeha County to the jail late Wednesday. He posted $75,000 bond to get out of the DeSoto County Jail on Thursday, according to a jail official.
A Horn Lake Municipal Court official said a court date for Walters had not yet been set as of Friday morning.
Walters, who lives in Starkville, is charged with exploitation of a child after the Horn Lake Police Department, with assistance from the Starkville Police Department, arrested him on Tuesday.
Horn Lake Police Capt. Joseph Keene said the case’s victim and his parents reported a Nov. 12 sexual assault and identified Walters after saying they’d met in Horn Lake. Keene also told The Dispatch that the victim was a male younger than 18 years old.
Keen further confirmed that communication between Walters and the victim started electronically.
The Dispatch received an incident affidavit from Horn Lake Police Department. However, the affidavit is heavily redacted and offers little insight into what occurred in the Nov. 12 incident.
Walters had worked at The Dispatch as a sports reporter since August 2011. He had recently been promoted to sports editor, a position he held at the time of his arrest.
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