Lancaster Chick-fil-A owner.

Restaurant owner charged with sex crime involving minor

LANCASTER, S.C. — The owner of a popular restaurant in Lancaster County was arrested Jan. 10 by the Fort Mill Police Department in neighboring York County. Lafe “Hunter” Thompson, 56, who owns the Chick-fil-A off S.C. 9 Bypass in Lancaster, was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor Wednesday evening. The victim, a 14-year-old boy, lived in the Fort Mill area. Fort Mill police were called to the victim’s home about 1:30 p.m. in reference to an alleged assault involving a juvenile. The criminal investigations division was soon called in and arrived on scene to take over the investigation. Through interviews with the victim and his mother, detectives were able to get a photo of Thompson from the victim’s cell phone. With help from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, deputies went to Thompson’s home on Carrington Drive in Lancaster, where he confirmed that he was in Fort Mill to meet with a young man. Thompson was booked and jailed at the Moss Justice Center in York. If convicted, Thompson could serve 11-14 years in prison. The case remains under investigation.