Seneca Man Arrested for Assault with Intent to Commit Criminal Sexual Conduct

A Seneca man, 46-year-old Ronnie Joe Patterson, Jr., a registered sex offender residing on Curtis Drive, was arrested Sunday morning and booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at approximately 7:38 AM on a charge of Assault to Commit Criminal Sexual Conduct – 2nd Degree and was also served with an outstanding General Sessions Bench Warrant for a 2nd Offense Sex Offender Registry Violation.

The arrest followed a Uniform Patrol Bureau deputy’s investigation into a reported sexual assault on April 7th at the Curtis Drive address, where Patterson, Jr., who lived in a camper on the property, allegedly touched a child victim’s inner thigh in late 2024 without consent while in the trailer for showering purposes, according to evidence and the arrest warrant which states he attempted to move his hand toward the victim’s private parts; Patterson, Jr. was given a $100,000 surety bond with the condition of electronic monitoring upon release, and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation while withholding victim-identifying information to protect the minor.