GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Michigan man will serve a life sentence after being convicted for the sexual abuse of two Gwinnett County girls over seven years.
According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, Carlos Leroy Benson, 55, abused two girls between 2012 and 2019 and got one of them pregnant.
The abuse happened at homes in Snellville, Lawrenceville and Norcross, the DA’s office said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
At trial, Benson faced eight charges, four counts of rape and four counts of child molestation for the seven years of abuse he inflicted upon two girls.
During his sentencing hearing, Superior Court Judge George Hutchinson said Benson was “a vile and reprehensible person,” adding that “evidence in this trial fully supports that you are an evil person.”
TRENDING STORIES:
- RFK Jr. emails open letter to CDC employees
- Kilos of fentanyl found in diaper box
- APD releases report on motorcycle crash that killed former Mastodon guitarist
The DA’s office said it began with grooming by Benson when both girls were around 9-years-old, then turned to inappropriate touching before he escalated to sexual abuse.
Benson threatened to kill both girls and their family if they told anyone what he’d done to them, the DA’s office said.
The abuse continued, including his rape of the oldest victim up until she was days away from her 18th birthday, which is when the DA’s office said he got her pregnant.
“These victims displayed true courage for being able to face this defendant in court and call out his wrongdoing,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “We pray that these young women have all the support that they need to move beyond the abuse they suffered and thrive.”
In court, Benson was convicted and sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences plus 20 years in prison, followed by 20 years of probation. He’ll also have to register for life as a child sex offender.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
