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.

May 2, 2018

PCSO Vice Unit Arrests Four Men for Lewd Activities at County Parks

Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, PIO

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the PCSO Undercover Vice Unit conducted an operation at Saddle Creek Park, Gator Creek Preserve, and Lake Fannie Boat Ramp in unincorporated Polk County, in response to complaints about lewd activity at the parks. Four suspects were arrested for lewd activity:

54-year-old Martin Guajardo of Timberlake Road North in Lakeland, exposed himself to and solicited an undercover male detective to perform a sex act at Gator Creek Preserve in Lakeland. He was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure (M-1), one count soliciting another for lewdness (M-1), and one count committing lewdness (M-2). He was issued a trespass from all parks in the county. He remains in the Polk County Jail in lieu of $1,250 bond.

74-year-old Emil Cygal of Bambi Drive in Lakeland, solicited an undercover male detective to perform sex acts at Gator Creek Preserve in Lakeland. He was arrested and charged with two counts soliciting another for lewdness (M-1). He was issued a trespass from all parks in the county. He remains in the Polk County Jail in lieu of $1,000 bond.

54-year-old Robert Anthony Messer of New Tampa Hwy in Lakeland, solicited an undercover male detective at Lake Fannie Boat Ramp in Winter Haven to perform a sex act. He was arrested and charged with one count soliciting another for lewdness (M-1). He was issued a trespass from all parks in the county. He was previously arrested in 2013 by Winter Haven P.D. for exposing himself to a 16-year-old boy at a city bus stop on Havendale Blvd. He's being held in the Polk County Jail on no bond until a first appearance hearing this afternoon.

78-year-old James Gerstner of Polk City Road in Haines City, exposed himself to and solicited an undercover male detective to perform a sex act at Lake Fannie Boat Ramp in Winter Haven. He was arrested and charged with one count indecent exposure (M-1), and one count soliciting another for lewdness (M-1). He was issued a trespass from all parks in the county. He is being held in the Polk County Jail.

"We will continue to conduct operations such as this one to get the message across to everyone that we will not tolerate this type of criminal activity at our parks. We arrested four suspects last week, and four suspects this week, and we will keep making arrests as long as people continue to ignore our warnings." - Grady Judd, Sheriff