Prosecutors say multiple assaults in Douglas County from 2012 to 2024 are linked through a national DNA database.
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — A man identified by prosecutors as Bobby Lee Hart Jr. was arrested in August and charged in a series of rapes that investigators say stretch across west Georgia, according to the Douglas County district attorney’s office. The announcement became public Sept. 2 after weeks of testing and warrant filings.
Prosecutors say DNA evidence tied together several assaults and led them to Hart Jr., who faces multiple rape charges while investigators review additional files. District Attorney Dalia Racine said the inquiry remains active, with analysts comparing older evidence to recent samples in the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. Officials said the assaults occurred years apart, raising concerns that other cases in the region may also be connected. The arrest marks a significant step in a long-running investigation that has unfolded in stages as lab results and warrants arrived.
According to case records described by authorities, three rapes were reported in 2012, 2022 and 2024; a fourth charge was added later in August. Warrants state the four known incidents happened within roughly a mile of one another in Douglasville, including addresses on Stewart Parkway, Durelee Lane, Hospital Drive and Douglas Boulevard. Investigators said CODIS hits helped link evidence across the cases. “Some of these developments came from CODIS hits,” Racine said, adding that the results prompted new interviews and additional testing by crime lab technicians.
At a news conference, Racine said her office is reviewing older files that could date back to the 1990s and that analysts are comparing DNA collected over the years with the current profile. She released multiple photographs of the suspect from different periods to illustrate how his appearance changed. Officials also listed several aliases they say he used, including Maurice, Robert, Kevin, Champ, King and Meat. Investigators said the working theory is that the assaults were separate incidents involving different women, and that they occurred in homes, public areas and, in one 2024 case, in the back of a semi-truck parked off Douglas Boulevard. The exact number of potential additional cases remains unknown.
Records show the arrest occurred Aug. 9 after detectives secured warrants in three Douglas County cases; a fourth rape charge was added Aug. 29. The district attorney’s timeline indicates the cases now filed include assaults reported in August and September 2012, August 2022 and November 2024. Authorities said the addresses listed in warrants are 5837 Stewart Parkway, 8242 Durelee Lane, 8501 Hospital Drive and 7500 Douglas Boulevard. “This is an active, ongoing investigation,” Racine said, noting that the office is coordinating with other west Georgia agencies to compare evidence, witness statements and older sexual-assault kits that may not have been tested when they were first collected.
Prosecutors said the next step is consolidating the Douglas County charges and preparing for preliminary hearings, followed by grand jury consideration. Lab work continues as investigators request older case files from neighboring jurisdictions. A court appearance was expected in the weeks after the announcement; prosecutors said the exact schedule depends on court availability and the pace of remaining test results. If additional charges are filed from other jurisdictions, those would be added through new warrants and, eventually, separate indictments. No trial date has been set.
Outside the courthouse, residents described a mix of relief and unease. Some neighbors said they recognized the listed addresses near shopping centers and apartment complexes; others said they were surprised the incidents happened within such a small area. Survivors and advocates at the news conference spoke briefly about the strain of revisiting old trauma. “When you talk about someone who was victimized decades ago, it can be very traumatizing for these things to come back up,” Racine said. Families who attended the announcement said they were grateful for the arrest but want clarity on how far back the investigation could reach.
As of Friday, prosecutors said the case remains in the charging and evidence-review phase. Additional testing results are pending, and a grand jury presentation is expected after new lab reports and interviews are complete.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.