Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Fair Play Man in Criminal Sexual Conduct and Kidnapping Investigation

George W. Watson, Jr.

(Walhalla, SC)-----------------------------------A Fair Play remains in jail at this time, on a combined $200,000 surety bond, after his arrest last Friday afternoon on charges of Kidnapping and Criminal Sexual Conduct – First Degree.

49 year old George W. Watson, Jr. of Dean Road, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center, on Friday, October 23^rd, at around 1:40pm.  Watson, Jr. was transported from the Pickens County Detention Center to the jail in Oconee County by a Deputy assigned to the Warrants Unit. 

The Sheriff’s Office investigation began on October 13^th of this year after a School Resource Officer, assigned to a school in the School District of Oconee County, was notified of a reported sexual assault of a teenager, who is a minor.  The SRO met with the victim and began an investigation. 

The investigation was turned over to a Violent Crimes Investigator assigned to the Criminal Investigations Bureau.  According to evidence obtained during the investigation, the victim had left her residence near Fair Play during the late evening hours of Sunday, October 11^th of this year and was walking down the road. 

As the victim was walking, an older white truck, which was driven by a man later identified as Watson, Jr., stopped and picked the victim up.  Watson, Jr. then drove to a shed in Fair Play where he was residing.  According to evidence obtained during the investigation, Watson, Jr. grabbed the victim out of the truck, took the victim inside of the shed, locked the door, pushed the victim down and then sexually assaulted the victim. 

After the sexual assault, Watson, Jr. then reportedly drove the victim back to the place where he had picked the victim up and proceeded to drop the victim off during the early morning hours of Monday, October 12^th. 

As the investigation continued, and due to the evidence gathered, the Investigator obtained search warrants after consultations with a Judge.  Additional consultations with a Judge led to the signing of two arrests warrants against Watson, Jr.  The arrest warrants were entered into the National Crime Information Center database.     

According to the arrest warrants, Watson, Jr. unlawfully confined the victim and committed a sexual battery on the victim. 

Watson, Jr. will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail. 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.  In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, and that of the victim, who is a minor and the victim of a sexual assault, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing any information that could in any way, either directly or indirectly, identify the victim in this investigation.