OC arrests Fairfield County man

An elderly man in Fairfield County has been arrested and charged by the Oconee Sheriff’s Office with a sex crime that occurred about 10 years ago. The Oconee Sheriff’s Office identified the arrested man as Douglas Clifton McFarland, 78 years old, of the Fairfield County town of Ridgeway. McFarland arrived yesterday at the Oconee Jail from Fairfield County, where he was held on unrelated charges. He is charged with lewd act with a minor. The Sheriff’s Office released this statement: “An investigator with the Sheriff’s Office met with an agent from the State Law Enforcement Division at the Sheriff’s Office on September 13 of last year. At that time, the investigator was informed that due to an ongoing investigation in Fairfield County that allegations of sexual abuse were made and one of the incidents occurred in Oconee County. The victim said during a forensic interview that she was sexually abused by the suspect.” Warrants allege that in the Seneca area between 2003-2004 McFarland inappropriately touched the victim, a female juvenile, who at the time was between six and seven years old.