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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 Alicia Manautou. 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.
A registered sex offender who was convicted in Hardee County in 1991 for a sex offense against a child was arrested yesterday by the Polk County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit for lewd molestation of two young victims in Polk County.
The investigation began when one victim disclosed to a family member that 58-year-old Jessie Valdez (DOB 11/30/1965) of Bartow had touched the victim's private parts numerous times under and over her clothing when she was as young as seven and eight years old and that the sexual abuse continued over the years. The victim stated that the abuse sometimes took place in Valdez's vehicle while Valdez played pornographic videos on his phone, and exposed himself to her.
During the investigation, another victim was discovered. She told detectives Valdez touched her numerous times under her clothing. Both victims were young girls that Valdez had access to. When a family member confronted Valdez he made incriminating statements and apologized for the abuse. Upon his arrest, he told his girlfriend to "sell everything because she was probably not going to see him for a long time." He refused to cooperate with detectives.
Valdez was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with: