Accused child molester ran a daycare

Fort is being held on $300,000 bond. Investigators call him an admitted child sexual predator who would put himself in positions where he would have access to children, including his own illegal home daycare.

On Tuesday night, the house on Town Brook Lane was dark. No one was home. The woman of the house was gone and her husband, Robert Fort, is in jail.

Neighbors who thought they knew Fort can't believe what they're now hearing.

"Are you serious? No way, no," said neighbor Julie Samaro.

Fort has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of child and four counts of indecency with a child. Fort Bend County Sheriff's investigators believe he sexually assaulted and exposed himself to two children, ages five and seven, while he and his wife babysat them at their home.

Neighbors said the couple ran an in-home daycare for years. Thomas Flores' two toddlers attended for a year, until Flores says his older son started protesting.

"I would bring him over there and we'd get to the door and he was like , 'No daddy, I don't want to go, daddy. I don't want to go.' That's what it was," said Flores.

Now Flores is glad he trusted his instincts. He pulled his children last September. He said he used the daycare because it was cheap and convenient. Those are red flags for illegal operations and we've learned that Fort's daycare was illegal. The state has shut the daycare down.

Gwen Carter of Child Protective Services hopes parents do their homework and check out who's taking care of their children.

"It's very risky. You never know what might happen at an unregulated day care," said Carter.

Investigators said Fort has confessed to the crimes, but they're still not satisfied. They said he was involved in Boy Scouts and a Youth Ministry. We've learned he was a school teacher for Alief ISD for five years and most recently around children as a floor manager at a major department store at Sugar Land's First Colony Mall.

Investigators are concerned there may be more victims.

"These characters don't start this at 50. He just got caught," said Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright.

Fort's wife has not been implicated in any of these crimes.

Fort Bend County detectives are encouraging parents to talk to their children if they had any contact with Robert Fort. If they think something happened, parents should call the Fort Bend County Sheriff's office at 281-341-4685 or call the Ft. Bend County Crime Stoppers are 281-342-TIPS.