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.

Mar 8, 2017

PCSO vice unit arrests four at county parks for lewd behavior

Media Contact: Michele Cash, PIO

On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, the PCSO Undercover Vice Unit conducted an operation at Saddle Creek Park and Gator Creek Preserve in unincorporated Polk County, in response to complaints about lewd activity. Four suspects were arrested and each were trespassed from all county parks.

77-year-old David Teal, of Polk City, exposed himself to a male undercover PCSO detective at Gator Creek Preserve. Teal was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure and one count of offering to committing lewdness. Teal has a previous arrest for performing Lewdness 5 years ago in Virginia Beach. He was released from jail on $750.00 bond.

56-year-old Kenneth Avila, of Dade City, exposed himself to a male undercover PCSO detective at Gator Creek Preserve. Avila was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure and one count of offering to committing lewdness. He was booked into the county jail with a $750.00 bond.

45-year-old Roy Neal Campbell, of Winter Haven, solicited a male undercover PCSO detective to perform a lewd act, and grabbed the detective against (the detective's) will at Saddle Creek Park. Campbell was arrested and charged with one count battery, one count offering to commit lewdness, one count possession of methamphetamine, and one count possession of drug paraphernalia (methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia was discovered in his car). He was booked into the county jail and is currently incarcerated.

71-year-old Rhonnie Osborne, of Winter Haven, solicited a male undercover PCSO detective to perform a lewd act, and grabbed the detective against (the detective's) will at Saddle Creek Park. Osborne was arrested and charged with one count battery, one count soliciting lewdness, and one count trespassing in a county park (he had already been issued a trespass order from all county parks). He was booked into the county jail with a $1,250.00 bond.