Houston County man sentenced to 65 years for child molestation, exploitation
The trial began on June 9 and concluded on June 12. The jury returned a guilty verdict after roughly two hours of deliberation.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A man has been convicted of aggravated child molestation and sexual exploitation of children, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
According to a news release, 46-year-old Robert Dean Garza was convicted by a Houston County jury on a 26-count indictment that included charges of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and sexual exploitation of children.
The trial began on June 9 and concluded on June 12. The jury returned a guilty verdict after roughly two hours of deliberation.
On June 18, Garza was sentenced to 65 years in prison, with the first 25 years to be served without the possibility of parole, followed by life on probation.
According to the release, the abuse occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Garza was a neighbor and close friend of the parents of the two victims, who were nine years old at the time.
Garza would frequently visit the family and stay overnight. During those visits, he committed various sexual acts against the children. The abuse was not reported until about a year and a half after it began.
The abuse came to light when one of the children told a friend, who then informed their parents. The parents contacted the Division of Family and Children Services, which notified the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
The children were interviewed at the Rainbow House, a Child Advocacy Center in Warner Robins. During forensic interviews, they disclosed the abuse and revealed that Garza had given them phones used to share child pornography.
Sgt. Adrienne Hilton of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Division led the investigation. At the time of Garza’s arrest, Hilton obtained his cellphone and later secured a search warrant. The phone was given to Lt. Darin Meadows, a supervisor in the Juvenile Division and a widely known digital forensics expert.
After analyzing the phone, Meadows recovered multiple photos and videos containing child pornography. Text messages indicated Garza appeared to believe he was in a relationship with one of the children.
Houston County Assistant District Attorney Justin Duane issued the following statement:
“This is yet another classic example of sexual abuse being perpetrated by those you least expect. The defendant was a well-liked man in his community with many friends who testified as character witnesses on his behalf during the trial. He had no prior felony criminal history and never missed a day of work. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In the dead of the night and in secret, he perpetrated heinous acts against these young girls. Neither girl came forward to their parents or teachers but one of the girls told her best friend. Luckily, that best friend, a brave little girl, had the courage to tell her mom. Had the friend not come forward, I don’t know if the defendant would have ever been held accountable. Thank you to everyone at the Rainbow House for everything they do, and to Sgt. Hilton and Lt. Meadows for their dedication to their work and to the children of Houston County.”
Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:
“This predator wormed his way into the lives of a family and inflicted unthinkable harm on two little girls who trusted him. He hid behind a mask of friendship and decency—but that mask has been ripped away, and he will now spend likely the remainder of his life in a prison cell where he belongs. I am incredibly proud of Sgt. Hilton, Lt. Meadows, and the team at the Rainbow House for their tireless work. And I am especially proud of the young people who spoke up in this case and set justice in motion. Thanks to their courage and the determination of our Sheriff’s Office and prosecutors, this defendant will never hurt another child again.”
