Robert Bennett, Jesus Flores-Vilchis Charged in Separate Forsyth County Child Sex Cases

Robert Marcus Bennett, 57, of 8445 Jot Em Down Road was arrested Nov. 13 by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and faces charges of enticing a child for indecent purposes, aggravated child molestation, sexual exploitation of a child and sodomy, authorities said. The child, whose name has not been released, is a 12-year-old boy; Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Gene Moss described Bennett as "an acquaintance" of the child, who lived near him. A 57-year-old man charged with sexually abusing a child remained in custody Wednesday without bond, and authorities said a Superior Court Judge would have to set Bennett's bond, with the investigation ongoing.

State legal definitions underscore the seriousness of the charges: legal commentary cited in background material notes that child molestation in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4 as, among other things, doing "any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person." Aggravated child molestation, the same source states, occurs when a child molestation act "physically injures the child or involves an act of sodomy," and a person convicted "shall be punished by imprisonment for life or by a split sentence that is a term of imprisonment for not less than 25 years and not exceeding life imprisonment."

In a separate matter, Forsyth County deputies arrested 34-year-old Jesus Flores‑Vilchis on Friday and charged him with child molestation, three counts of aggravated child molestation, and three counts of sodomy against a person under the age of 10 years old, officials said. Flores‑Vilchis is currently being held in the Forsyth County Jail without bond, and authorities released his mugshot. During his arrest, the sheriff’s office gave him the special, "People of Forsyth County" handcuffs and posted a message saying, "You harm our children in Forsyth County, this is what you will get." The sheriff’s office also posted, "Enjoy your stay at the Freeman Motel," as part of its public messaging. An update posted Monday, May 13, 10:00 A.M. noted that no additional details have been provided by the FCSO at this time.

Both cases remain in active stages: Bennett's case includes the procedural note that a Superior Court Judge would have to set his bond, while Flores‑Vilchis is being held without bond pending charging and court action. Authorities have not released names of the minors involved and have declined to speculate on whether either suspect has harmed other children; the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing.

The dual arrests, involving a 12-year-old victim in one case and alleged victims under 10 in the other, amplify demands on Forsyth County systems that respond to child sexual abuse: law enforcement investigation, court processing for serious felony counts, and trauma-informed services for young survivors. At this stage, prosecutors and the county court clerk will determine formal indictments and hearing dates, and both cases are expected to proceed through the Forsyth County judicial system while investigators gather evidence.