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.

Jan 31, 2019

Former Youth & Family services worker arrested in December for child pornography has 165 additional charges added-on

Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO

On Wednesday, January 30, 2019, detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office added an additional 165 counts of Possession of Child Pornography (F2) against William Smith of Bartow, who was arrested by PCSO on December 21, 2018 on similar charges.

At the time of Smith’s arrest, his Apple MacBook Pro was taken and a forensic examination of the device was performed. 165 files depicting children as young as 12-24 months old engaged in sexual conduct.

28-year-old Smith has been in the Polk County Jail since his arrest on 15 counts of Possession of Child Pornography.

He was formerly employed with Youth and Family Alternatives as a counselor, and assisted school guidance counselors and parent/guardians with truant children.

At this time, none of the victims in the images have been identified.