Child Predator

On December 19, 2018 an SRO at Ford Elementary was notified of a situation involving a child. The SRO immediately called for an investigator to respond to the school. An investigator from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit responded and found that someone had sent inappropriate material to the child’s cell phone. The investigator was able to identify the subject who sent the obscene material as Michael Bernard Bunner. Investigator’s then continued a conversation with Mr. Bunner via text, using the child’s phone. Mr. Bunner believed he was talking to the child and made arrangements to pick the child up from a residence to participate in sexual activities. The Sheriff’s Office and Laurens City Officers set up surveillance on the residence in case Mr. Bunner arrived to pick up the child. A short time later Mr. Bunner arrived at the residence and exited his vehicle, at which time he was arrested. Mr. Bunner was charged with Criminal Solicitation of a Minor by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and Disseminating Obscene Materials by Laurens City PD. He was transported to Johnson Detention Center where he is currently being held on these charges. Currently, we don’t have any information leading us to believe there are other victims, however the investigation is ongoing, and more charges are possible. “This guy is without a doubt a sexual predator of children. There is no place in our Society for such people and I’m glad he is in jail, where he belongs. It’s only by the Grace of God and the courage of the victim’s friends to tell an adult about what was going on that we were able to stop this criminal before he could physically assault the victim.” Sheriff Don Reynolds