Disney Channel Actor Stoney Westmoreland Fired After Allegedly Attempting Sexual Encounter With Minor

Stoney Westmoreland, the 48-year-old actor who plays a grandfather on the Disney Channel, has reportedly been fired after his arrest for allegedly attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old.

Westmoreland played Henry “Ham” Mack on the series Andi Mack until his arrest on Friday. According to a report by Deadline, Disney Channel officially severed ties with the actor hours after he was taken into custody. Westmoreland was charged with enticing a minor by Internet or text, which is a second-degree felony, as well as four counts of dealing in materials harmful to minors, which is a third-degree felony.

Westmoreland had reportedly been communicating with a person he was led to believe was 13 years old on an online dating app. An affidavit notes that the service is used specifically “for dating and meeting people for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.”

The incident took place in Utah, where Andi Mack films. In messages sent online, Westmoreland reportedly asked the person he believed was a minor to engage in sexual acts with him, and to send nude photos. He sent pornographic photos as well.

On Friday, Westmoreland took a ride-sharing service to pick up the person he was communicating with, only to be arrested by the Salt Lake City Police Department and FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.

On Friday night, a representative for Disney Channel released a statement which confirmed that Westmoreland had been fired.

“Stoney Westmoreland, an actor working on the series Andi Mack, was arrested in Salt Lake City today,” it read. “Given the nature of the charges and our responsibility for the welfare of employed minors, we have released him from his recurring role and he will not be returning to work on the series which wraps production on its third season next week.”

Andi Mack centers around a group of teens that are 13 years old. It is a comedy concerned with coming of age and life within the social hierarchy of a school. Westmoreland had a recurring role as the lead character’s grandfather. He has appeared in 37 episodes of th series. There is no word yet on whether he will be written off or re-cast.

Westmoreland has many other notable credits in Hollywood as well. As an actor he has appeared on Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Scandal and NCIS, among others. This year, he directed and produced his first feature, titled Golden Boy. The movie was featured in the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival back in August, though there is very little information about it available online.