'He was a troubled kid': Deputies arrest St. Marys man for sex crimes involving children, bestiality

ST. MARYS, Ga. — Deputies in Camden County said they have Ronnie Ely behind bars accused of multiple sex crimes involving children and bestiality.

The Sheriff’s Office tells Action News Jax they’re not ruling out that there are more alleged victims.

They’re asking anyone else with contact with Ely to come forward.

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Deputies said Ely faces five felony charges: three for sexual exploitation of children, one for child molestation and one for bestiality.

Diane Brown lives in Ely’s St. Mary’s neighborhood.

“That’s very scary because I have a little niece and nephew,” Brown said.  “They’re 5 and 10; they’re here all the time.”

In July, officers said they served a search warrant at Ely’s home pertaining to an overdose.

Investigators seized his phone in connection with that case, and said they found videos and pictures that contained child pornography.

“I was sad, but I wasn’t very surprised,” Brown said.  “But I’d seen the kid in his car the last couple of weeks, actually, and it looked like he had cleaned himself up.”

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Last week, Camden County deputies arrested Ely near the courthouse where he was scheduled for drug court.

When questioned, they say he admitted to bestiality and taking video and pictures of children in a pool, then uploading them to the app, Kik.

Investigators said he would chat with people there, exchanging those pictures and videos for child porn.

“I never felt uneasy with him around, so I’m kind of shocked that this has gone on, but I think he was a troubled kid,” Brown said.

Cox Media Group