By John Estridge with information taken from several media sources
A man with Liberty and Laurel ties has been arrested in Hamilton County, Tennessee and charged with three counts of child rape, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and other related charges.
Also, authorities say Ryan Andrew Meyung, 30, may have more victims spread across 10 states including Indiana.
Meyung had a Liberty address and was the manager of motocross racing at Haspin Acres near Laurel.
According to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer dated Jan. 11 and written by Cameron Knight, Meyung was staying with a family in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and sleeping on their couch. The family had a 12-year-old son living in the same house.
Apparently Meyung is alleged to have purchased gifts for the 12-year-old including an iPhone and a vape.
It was the vape, which initiated everything as the 12-year-old’s father confronted the 12-year-old about the vape after the father found it.
While the boy was being disciplined, the boy began to cry and then told his dad what had been occurring, this allegedly included sexual contact.
“He broke down, hit the floor and was crying like I’ve never seen him cry before and that’s when he said everything,” the father told WRCB Channel 3 in Chattanooga.
The father immediately called the police.
Meyung and the family have been friends for a couple of years, according to the article.
According to an article on WTVC Channel 9 news out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Meyung ran a business called Live Your Dreams MX.
“…which involved him in traveling around the United States and other countries building motocross tracks,” Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston was quoted in the Channel 9 news article. “His work also involved teaching and mentoring children on how to motocross. This business was based in Indiana.”
Pinkston also said Meyung has past and present connections with several youth-oriented organizations and youth ministries. These connections required Meyung to travel across the United States.
After the initial charges had been publicized, Tennessee police took an affidavit concerning another alleged illegal incident involving children, a Channel 9 article stated.
Two siblings aged 10 and 11 said on Dec. 10 they were visiting their father’s workspace when they walked through a parking lot to Meyung’s white bus to “talk about dirt bike stuff.”
After talking about bikes inside the bus for a short time, the siblings saw Meyung walk to the front of the bus and engage the lock system, locking the doors.
At that point, the children said Meyung attacked them and sexually violated one of the children. The children were able to unlock the doors and escaped with Meyung allegedly yelling after them “don’t tell your dad.”
Locally, Haspin Acres put a statement on its Facebook page. “The future of motocross racing at Haspin Acres is now uncertain. As many of you know, our MX Race Manager, Ryan Meyung, has been arrested in Tennessee and is awaiting his day in court. All plans for motocross racing at Haspin Acres next season are indefinitely suspended. Any further decisions about the future of motocross racing at Haspin Acres will be posted on our Facebook page and website.”
A twin brother and girlfriend have also been charged in relation to this case.
Authorities at the Silverdale Detention Center said they overheard Meyung make a phone call and tell his girlfriend to go into his Apple account and erase his profile.
According to one of the articles, Meyung’s twin brother, Bryan Meyung, and girlfriend, Marisa Davis, were charged with felony tampering with or fabricating evidence by conspiring with Ryan Meyung to delete digital information from Ryan’s personal cell phone and Facebook profile.
Police believe there are more victims across the country including the states of: Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Anyone with information related to Meyung’s arrest or anyone who suspects that a child might be one of his victims is being encouraged to call the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 866-347-2423 or go to www.ice.gov/tipline.
Meyung remains in the Silverdale Jail in Chattanooga awaiting hearings in the case.
