GBI Arrests 50-Year-Old Fitzgerald Man on Child Molestation and Grooming Charges

FITZGERALD, GA — A 50-year-old Ben Hill County business owner has been arrested and jailed on multiple felony counts—including child molestation and grooming—following a coordinated raid on his home and office by state agents.

John David Anderson, of Fitzgerald, was taken into custody on Friday, July 10, 2026, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). He has been booked into the Ben Hill County Jail on charges of Child Molestation, Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes, and Grooming of a Minor.

State Bureau Intervenes Following DA Request

The high-profile investigation was set in motion on Thursday, June 25, 2026, when the Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office formally requested the GBI to take the lead on allegations involving an adult engaging in inappropriate contact with a minor.

GBI specialized sex-crimes agents and digital forensics experts spent two weeks building the case and mapping out the suspect’s routines.

Simultaneous Raids End in Arrest

The operation culminated on Friday morning, July 10, when GBI agents, supported by local law enforcement, executed simultaneous, high-priority search warrants at Anderson’s private residence and his commercial business office.

Evidence seized during those raids provided investigators with the immediate probable cause necessary to place Anderson under arrest on the scene.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Perry at (478) 987-4545. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.