News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Feb 11, 2016

PCSO Detectives Charge Cape Coral Man With Sextortion of Polk County Girls

Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, PIO

On February 11, 2016, PCSO Computer Crimes detectives obtained a Polk County arrest warrant for 25-year-old Lucas Dylan Bales of 3610 SE 3rd Avenue, Cape Coral, for one count Criminal Use of Child's ID, one count Threat/Extortion, one count Aggravated Stalking of a Minor, 8 counts Written Threats to Kill or Do Bodily Harm, and 10 counts Unlawful Use of Communication Device, and contacted the Cape Coral Police Department to take Bales into custody.

The investigation began on February 8th, when a Polk County man contacted PCSO in reference to his 11-year-old daughter being harassed by an unknown person calling himself ".Daddy" on the KIK messaging application. According to the affidavit, the suspect told the girl that he was going to post her home address on the Internet, asking for people to come rape her, set her house on fire, or hurt her, unless the girl sent him nude photos and videos of herself and/or provide him with names and addresses of other girls. The girl told her father, who engaged with the suspect in an attempt to identify him. The father also called PCSO and reported it.

During the investigation, detectives located another Polk County victim, an 12-year-old girl, who was also being threatened and extorted by ".Daddy."

PCSO detectives positively identified the user of the KIK account as Bales in Cape Coral. PCSO detectives worked with ICAC partners and Cape Coral P.D. to serve a search warrant at Bales' home during the early morning hours of February 11th. During the search, detectives seized Bales' cell phone, laptop, desktop computer, and Playstation gaming system. During a preliminary search of Bales' electronic devices, detectives found messages where Bales was threatening and extorting the girls, and soliciting them for nude photos. Detectives will conduct a thorough forensic analysis of all seized equipment, and more charges are pending the outcome of that analysis.

During the search of his residence, detectives also found marijuana. Cape Coral P.D. took Bales into custody and charged him locally for drug possession, and he is being held on the Polk County warrant. He will be extradited to Polk County at a later date. The investigation is ongoing.

"Here is another very scary example of how predators are victimizing your children on the Internet and via cell phones. This is also another shining example of how parents are the first line of defense against child predators. This young girl did the right thing by immediately reporting the crime to her father, and he did the right thing by immediately reporting it to us. We hope there are no other victims out there, but if you have been contacted by Lucas Bales, we urge you to contact PCSO or Cape Coral Police." - Sheriff Grady Judd