Man convicted of sexually abusing 2 girls in Coweta County sentenced to life in prison

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A Coweta County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for what he did to two young girls.

After a weeklong trial, a Coweta County jury found Leslie Gene Patterson, 60, guilty of two counts of child molestation and one count of aggravated sexual battery involving two girls.

After the verdict was delivered, a Superior Court judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole in light of his multiple prior felony convictions.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to evidence presented at the trial, Patterson lived in Sweetbriar Mobile Home Park and hosted parties where he supplied alcohol and drugs for a teenage family member and his high school-age friends, which included teenage girls younger than 18.

Some of those girls testified at his trial about the parties and his behavior, which included Patterson making sexual comments and touching the girls inappropriately.

In 2020, an 11-year-old girl told Coweta County authorities that Patterson had molested her.

After that girl reported being molested, a second victim came forward and told authorities about Patterson sexually assaulting her when she was 15 years old at one of his parties in 2015.

According to her testimony, she and her boyfriend fell asleep at Patterson’s trailer and she woke up to Patterson assaulting her.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Couple found dead in Gwinnett home; 2-year-old child unharmed, police say
• Group of men fishing make gruesome discovery on Chattahoochee River, officials say
• ‘I’m still his mother!:’ 2 arrested, including Ga. mom, after tattooing underage boy, deputies say

That incident was the basis for the charge of aggravated sexual battery, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without parole.

The Coweta County District Attorney said Patterson has been arrested over 60 times in his life and has been convicted of numerous felonies.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Drivers using Peach Pass say delays in tolls showing up are costing them extra money Several metro Atlanta drivers told Channel 2 Action News that it has taken a month of using their Peach Pass before any tolls show up.

©2023 Cox Media Group