PHOENIX — A Phoenix man is facing multiple charges for allegedly driving to Georgia to pick up a teen girl and sexually assaulting her.
Phoenix Police Department officers arrested 27-year-old Blane Patterson at his residence near 7th Street and McDowell Road on August 19.
Patterson is accused of meeting a Georgia teen girl through social media and maintaining an inappropriate relationship with her for approximately one year.
During that time, the two exchanged inappropriate photos, videos, and live content, according to court documents.
Authorities believe Patterson drove to Lafayette, Georgia, on July 28 to pick up the girl and bring her back to Phoenix.
In Georgia, the girl was reported missing from a friend's house and left behind a note suggesting she was "suicidal and was going to be with a person known to her family as deceased."
During the drive back from Georgia, Patterson admitted to sexually assaulting the teen multiple times as well as when they arrived at his Phoenix home.
In an interview with police, Patterson claimed he went to Georgia to "rescue" the girl after she told him she was being sexually abused by several people.
Later, during a police interview with the girl, she made no mention of the abuse, court documents said.
Patterson was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on multiple charges, including sexual conduct with a minor, kidnapping, aggravated luring of a minor, unlawful imprisonment, and more.
The teen has been located by police and is safe. Additional details on her location have not been made public.
The FBI released the following statement to ABC15 regarding the case:
As you know, this whole case started with the Lafayette, GA police department searching for a missing 14 year old. Late last week, Lafayette PD asked for FBI assistance, which our field office in Atlanta provided. Their investigative tactics led the Atlanta office to contact our office about Mr. Patterson’s possible whereabouts and his possibly being with the 14 year old. We were fortunate enough to track him down. Currently, he is being held in the Maricopa County Jail on state charges. Federal charges could be forthcoming, but nothing yet.
