Batesburg-Leesville, SC (WLTX) -- Saluda County deputies say a 35-year-old Batesburg-Leesville registered sex offender inappropriately touched a 15-year-old girl at his house, as the girl visited someone else at the home.
Deputies with the Saluda County Sheriff's Office arrested Gary E. Warren, Jr. of Holly Ferry Road in Batesburg-Leesville and charged him with lewd act on a minor. Warren was charged and convicted of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a 13-year-old victim in 2001. "I want folks to know who the predators are that live in their area, cause this guy is definitely a predator," explains Saluda County Sheriff Jason Booth.
Investigators say at about 4 a.m. on Nov. 1, Warren woke up as the victim was watching a movie and made inappropriate remarks to the victim. After everyone else in the home had gone to sleep, deputies say Warren pulled the girl close to him, rubbed her shoulders, and placed his hands under the girl's shirt.
After that, deputies say the 35-year-old sex offender left the room and later returned, growling and breathing on the victim's neck. Investigators say Warren asked the girl if she wanted to go outside to the woods with him, and she said no. He left again, deputies say, then returned and rolled the girl over to look at her neck. Investigators say Warren told the girl not to tell her mother what "her boyfriend had left on the back of her neck," referring to a red mark on the victim.
Booth says the girl told a guidance counselor, who alerted deputies. "He gave a full confession on the entire incident where he made inappropriate actions towards a child," Booth says, of when deputies questioned Warren.
For the sheriff, making sure you're aware of the history of people in your community is part of the battle that needs to be fought. "Go online. SLED does a great job putting all the sex offenders on their website," he says, "We need to get tougher on these people who take advantage of our youth."
Warren was a assigned a $30,000 bond Monday afternoon during a court appearance, and is still being detained at the Saluda County jail.
11/23/2009 11:46:06 PM
