Archived News

Candler man arrested in Walmart stalking case

Ryan Scot Davis, 48, was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child following an incident at the Waynesville Walmart on Saturday, Nov. 24.

Waynesville police suspect that Davis is the same man who Saturday stalked an 11-year-old girl around Walmart. Posing as a security guard investigating a theft, Davis allegedly led the child to a prearranged area, accused her of stealing and asked the young girl to remove her clothes. When the child refused, the perpetrator released her.

Police were able to piece together what happened using video surveillance tapes from Walmart and later released a picture of the suspect to the public, asking people to come forward and help identify the man.

The Waynesville Police Department received several tips from callers, naming Davis as a suspect, and upon investigation, police found enough probable cause to believe that Davis was indeed the man they were looking for.

Davis is already listed on the Sex Offender Registry. He previously spent six years in prison for taking indecent liberties with a child in Henderson County in 2000.

Hollingsed stated that the circumstances of the 2000 incident are very similar to those that took place at Walmart in Waynesville on Saturday.

Related Items

Buncombe County police arrested Davis at 11:30 p.m. Nov. 27 at his home on Harkins Cove Road in Candler. He is being held at the Haywood County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.

The full list of charges is: second-degree kidnapping, indecent liberties with a child and assault on a child under 12. All three are felonies.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.