Two arrested for child molestation

Published 11:48 pm Monday, March 30, 2015

Two Dalton men were arrested on child molestation charges last week.

Juan Lopez Ibarra, 33, of 700 Hamilton Court, No. 6, and Bennie Gene Turner Jr., 17, of 2315 Sir Lancelot Place, No. 104, were arrested on Friday after investigations by the Dalton Police Department. Turner was also charged with criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Both were still being held in the Whitfield County jail Monday without bond.

DPD spokesman Bruce Frazier said Ibarra was arrested after claims recently surfaced of multiple incidents of “inappropriate touching” two years ago involving a teenage girl.

Turner was involved in two separate incidents, Frazier said. The first happened at a Dalton home where Turner was accused of lying on top of a teenage girl, exposing himself and pressuring her to have sex. That resulted in the criminal attempt charge.

The molestation reportedly occurred on a school bus, but Frazier said he did not know if it was a Dalton Public Schools or Whitfield County Schools bus. Frazier said Turner was accused of repeatedly inappropriately touching a teenage girl.

Calls to Dalton Public Schools spokeswoman Pat Holloway and Whitfield County Schools spokesman Eric Beavers Monday afternoon were not immediately returned.