A 53-year-old Fair Play man is locked up in the Oconee County Detention Center on a $100,000 surety bond after investigators charged him with sexually assaulting a child under 14. Rickie Ray Autry Jr., who lives on Wilderness Way, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the jail at around 11:12 a.m., facing a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
According to audacy.com, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office opened its investigation on July 23 after a deputy assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau spoke with a family member of the child victim. That conversation set off a monthslong probe that stretched into the fall before Autry's arrest this week. wspa.com reports the victim was described as a child under the age of 14.
What the Arrest Warrant Alleges
Per the same account from the station, investigators say the arrest warrant describes Autry having sexual intercourse with the victim during the winter of 2026, with the alleged conduct tied to an address near Oakway. Deputies obtained the arrest warrant against Autry only after consulting with a judge, the station's report notes.
The Oconee County Sheriff's Office posted on X that Autry remains in jail at this time on the $100,000 surety bond following his arrest on the second-degree charge. If he is released on bond, he will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release, according to the same unlinked account.
Investigation Remains Open
The sheriff's office, based in Walhalla, South Carolina, says it is continuing its investigation into the case. No court disposition, plea, or trial date has been reported, and it remains unclear whether Autry has retained an attorney or whether his bond conditions have changed since his arrest.
