Over 200 illegal images found on previously convicted sex offender’s cellphone

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Coweta County man is behind bars again after deputies say they found a large stash of child sexual abuse material stored on his cellphone.

Georgia Department of Corrections records show that Troy Ray Bennett was sentenced to 200 years in a case that involved 24 counts of sexual exploitation of a child in Twiggs County in 2005. He was released early from prison on parole last year after serving 18 years.

Deputies arrested Bennett at his workplace this past week.

He is back behind bars after parole officials say he failed a recent polygraph test when asked if he had been viewing child pornography. Coweta County deputies and state investigators immediately searched his home and seized all of his electronic devices.

Investigators say they found more than 200 images of children just on his cellphone.

The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office has filed one charge against Bennett but expects additional charges as they continue to search his electronic devices.

Troy Ray Bennett was arrested after investigators say they found a large stash of child sexual abuse material on his phone. (Coweta County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff’s office says it is investigating anonymous tips to the GBI that Bennett had been taking normal photographs of children in his Coweta County neighborhood, which they say is also a violation of his parole. They state he is not permitted to point a camera at a child, following his 2005 conviction for the manufacture of child pornography.

If you have information that can help investigators in this case, call the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.