A judge has ordered a 78-year-old Vero Beach man to serve multiple life sentences following his conviction on numerous felony charges related to the sexual molestation of two minors. The severe sentencing brings a close to a highly sensitive case that has unfolded within the local judicial system over the last several years.
George Frank Bollis Jr., a resident of the 1800 block of 10th Place in Vero Beach, received the maximum penalty during an emotionally charged hearing at the Indian River County Courthouse. This sentencing followed a four-day trial that concluded in mid-April. The jury deliberated for nearly four hours before rendering their verdicts.
Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman, who prosecuted the case, stated that the prosecution actively sought the maximum penalty of life in prison to ensure the defendant would never again be in a position to harm a child. Bollis opted not to testify during his trial and was found not guilty on six counts of sexual battery. However, the jury convicted him of several other severe offenses.
The specific felony convictions handed down by the jury include:
- Six counts of lewd or lascivious molestation by an offender over 18, with a victim under 12.
- Two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation by an offender over 18, with a victim between the ages of 12 and 16.
The investigation by local authorities originated in December 2018, when detectives began looking into allegations of abuse dating back to 2016. Arrest records show that Bollis was initially taken into custody in May 2019 at the age of 71.
The case gained critical momentum in January 2019 when a 13-year-old girl disclosed to out-of-state investigators that the abuse began in June 2016, when she was just nine years old. Authorities reported that the incidents involved Bollis taking inappropriate photographs of the victim, alongside at least one reported encounter occurring at his local Vero Beach business office. A second female victim was also identified during the course of the ongoing investigation.
A 78-year-old Vero Beach resident was sentenced to multiple life prison terms after an Indian River County jury convicted him of eight counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving two minor victims.
