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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 8, 2025
Lakeland man who exchanged explicit nude images with a teenaged girl arrested for possessing child pornography and sending material harmful to a minor
Media Contact: Scott Wilder
Harold Tittle, 33, of Lakeland, was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on April 26 and charged with unlawful use of a 2-way communication device (F3), transmitting material harmful to a minor (F3) and four counts of possession of child pornography (F3). Tittle was an assistant coach for the team "Bat Intentions" of the Lakeland Girls Softball League.
On 04/25/2025, deputies were told by a relative of a teenaged girl that a 33 year old man known to the family was having inappropriate sexual conversations with the girl and that explicit nude photos and videos were exchanged between the two.
Detectives learned that Tittle solicited via snapchat nude pictures from the then 16-year-old girl. He asked for naked pictures of her buttocks and breasts. The solicitation and grooming led to more sexually explicit images and videos being exchanged. Tittle also sent nude pictures of himself to the girl.
A PCSO detective made contact with Tittle. He told the deputy he knew exactly why the detective was speaking with him as soon as Snapchat was mentioned. Tittle proceeded to confess that he sent a nude image of himself to the victim and that he asked the victim to send nude photos to him. Tittle told detectives that he used another device to take pictures of and recorded at least one video of the victim while the images were on Snapchat. Detectives recovered these images from Tittle’s cell phone.
Tittle further admitted that he knew the victim was 16 and 17 during the time of these image exchanges. He told detectives he used “bad judgement.”
Tittle denied that he victimized any other girls, including girls he had contact with on the softball team he coached.
Based on the information, admissions, and evidence collected (child pornography), Tittle was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail.
“Tittle’s actions are reprehensible. He groomed this girl to provide sexually explicit content. Though he has denied victimizing other girls, we ask anyone—parents or kids—to talk to us if they know of any inappropriate contact from Harold Tittle with any underage child or teen.” Grady Judd, Sheriff