Paulding County authorities have opened a new investigation into Bobby Lee Hart Jr., a man already accused of sexually assaulting women across west Georgia over several decades.
The Paulding County investigation centers on a 2012 assault. Officials say a woman was offered a ride in Douglas County and taken near Hiram, where Hart allegedly attacked her. No charges have been filed in that Paulding case.
Paulding County District Attorney Robert Lane said during an Aug. 19 news conference that investigators have identified more than 25 potential victims in Paulding, Douglas and Cobb counties. Authorities believe the alleged assaults may date to 1988 and were concentrated near the Georgia 92 corridor.
Investigators described a recurring pattern in which Hart allegedly approached women in vulnerable situations, offered transportation or assistance and took them to secluded locations. Officials said he used several aliases, including Maurice, Robert, Kevin, Champ, King and Meat, which complicated efforts by victims to identify him.
Hart was arrested by Douglas County authorities in August 2025 after investigators said DNA evidence connected him to multiple cases. A Douglas County grand jury later indicted him on 18 counts, including charges involving seven alleged rapes, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Cobb County subsequently indicted him in a separate alleged assault.
Hart, 53, is being held without bond in the Cobb County Jail, with a Douglas County hold. His father told FOX 5 that Hart denied the accusations.
Authorities are asking anyone who recognizes Hart or believes they encountered him to contact the Paulding County District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit at 770-443-7561. Hart has not been convicted, and the allegations must be proven in court.
