Grady Judd: Latest News

Authorities released video of a woman caught using the bathroom in someone's yard in Polk County, Florida on March 16. (Photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office) A boater is in hot water after she relieved herself in someone’s yard last week in Polk County, Florida. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the March 16 incident on their Facebook page to get the public’s assistance to identify the woman they're looking for.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives a press conference highlighting the arrests from 'Operation Cyber Guardian II.' WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A total of 13 men were arrested in the latest Polk County undercover operation targeting suspects who made attempts to "sexually abuse, groom, and corrupt" children, said Sheriff Grady Judd. In addition to the agency's team, Chris Hansen from ‘To Catch a Predator’ worked alongside investigators.Sheriff Judd said three suspects believed they were speaking to the guardian or parent of a child who wanted to teach their kid to have sex or arrange for the suspect to meet the minor, officials said. Others either traveled to have sex with children, had sexually-explicit conversations, or sent "harmful material." It turned out the person on the end of those conversations was an undercover detective.Among those arrested were people who worked at Disney, Publix, and Amazon, along with a man who installs internet safety programs in schools — the very same firewall blocking systems means to protect children from sexual predators."We will continue to conduct proactive operations like this to search out these evil predators before they get to our children," Sheriff Judd said.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Authorities say a two-year undercover investigation resulted in 85 arrests, the seizure of over $12.8 million worth of drugs, and the dismantling of an international drug trafficking organization whose ringleaders operated out of Winter Haven.The Polk County Sheriff's Office said the investigation started in September 2020, when 32-year-old Demarcus Jefferson crashed his car into a Winter Haven gas station, killing a customer inside.Sheriff Grady Judd said surveillance video from the gas station showed people in masks running up to the totaled vehicle and grabbing items from the car's trunk before deputies arrived at the scene. According to the sheriff, they were taking drugs out of the trunk so deputies wouldn't find them during their crash investigation.Matt Murphy, who witnessed the 2020 gas station crash, told FOX 13 at the time that after the driver crashed through the building, an SUV showed up.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A recent undercover online child predator investigation resulted in the arrest of a dozen suspects in Polk County.Investigators from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Auburndale Police Department, and Winter Haven Police Department worked together on "Operation Child Protector II," which focused on finding those who prey upon children online.The sheriff's office said 12 suspects were arrested for a total of 49 felonies. According to Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, nine of the 12 had no criminal history.Four of the suspects traveled to an undercover location to have sex with who they thought were teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 15, only to instead find detectives waiting to arrest them.RELATED: Electronic-sniffing dog helps make pedophilia arrest in MexicoThe other eight suspects had warrants for their arrests after investigators said they groomed and sent sexually explicit content to who they thought were 13, 14, and 15-year-old girls.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Detectives across several Polk County law enforcement agencies were involved in an undercover operation focused on finding victims of human trafficking. After six days, they said they arrested a total of 102 suspects.Among those suspects were 36 individuals who offered to commit prostitution.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Undercover detectives in Polk County have been involved in an ongoing investigation focused on not just nabbing suspects who possess and share child pornography, but also finding victims. In the latest sting, the agency announced the arrest of 16 people.Sheriff Grady Judd said detectives also located five victims of child pornography. "They found child victims this time," he said Thursday morning.

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County deputies said an argument between a 31-year-old suspect and the father of the underage girl he was dating led up to a deadly shooting on Friday morning.Deputies responded to a home in the area of Transport Road and Spruce Road in Bartow around 5:49 a.m. Friday.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – After a 21-year-old Winter Haven man was found dead in an orange grove Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff’s Office officials say he was likely the victim of a homicide.Danne Frazier was found dead in an orange grove off Helicopter Road in Lake Wales, according to the sheriff’s office. An autopsy will be performed Friday to determined his cause of death, however, deputies say the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious.

FROSTPROOF, Fla. – Polk County deputies shot and killed a man armed with a machete late Wednesday during an incident described by the sheriff as “suicide by cop.”Sheriff Grady Judd said a sergeant, lieutenant and two deputies responded to a home just before 7 p.m.