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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 14, 2020
Avon Park man arrested by PCSO for exposing himself to women while driving
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 32-year-old man on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 after a complaint about him exposing himself to a woman while driving, and the subsequent investigation caught him in the act of exposing himself.
Justin Mosser of Avon Park was charged with three counts of Indecent Exposure in Public (M1) and two counts of Committing a Lewd Act (M2). The charges stem from two separate incidents.
“First, nobody wants to see that. It’s disgusting, rude, and perverted. Second, it’s dangerous to be doing something like this while driving. This is wrong on so many levels. Great work by the detectives to find this guy so quickly. He said he’s done this before, so we’re asking for his other victims to contact the Sheriff’s Office.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
On May 11, 2020, a woman reported that she was driving on Hwy 60 near the Lake Wales Airport at about 8:00 a.m., when she noticed the driver in a gray Mazda next to her was waving and trying to get her attention. When she looked over, she saw that his penis was completely exposed and he began to masturbate.
The woman contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to report what happened. She provided a detailed description of the man and turned over photos that she took of his car and license plate.
PCSO Vice detectives were able to identify the suspect as Mosser. On Wednesday morning, they surveilled Mosser.
As a female undercover detective was driving on Hwy 27 near Pine Crest Road, a gray Mazda began driving alongside of her unmarked vehicle. When the detective looked over at the driver, who was Mosser, his penis was exposed and he was trying to draw her attention to it. As the vehicles got side by side again, the driver again exposed his penis and began masturbating.
A traffic stop was conducted on the Mazda, and Mosser was arrested. He told detectives that he often drives with his penis exposed because he gets hot and “airs it out.” He claimed that he has done this sort of thing about four or five times to random women while driving down the road. Detectives say that he showed no remorse for his actions.
Mosser’s prior criminal history includes arrests for Burglary, Grand Theft, Criminal Mischief, Giving False Name to a LEO, Resisting, DUI, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked.
