Former Polk County deputy arrested, accused of ‘emotionally entangled’ relationship with teen cadet: PCSO
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A former Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy who served as an advisor for the agency’s cadet program is facing multiple felony charges after he reportedly sent inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old cadet that he was supervising, according to PCSO.
The backstory:
Investigators say Skylar Bush, 29, was arrested Tuesday after another cadet reported witnessing concerning texts between Bush and a 16-year-old cadet in the program, which spurred the investigation on Monday.
Detectives spoke with the teen, who confirmed the messages and described some of them as "weird," PCSO said.
Disturbing messages uncovered
According to investigators, Bush sent multiple inappropriate messages to the cadet, including telling her he was falling in love with her and that he wanted her to have his children.
What they're saying:
"This 29-year-old demonstrated a gross obsession, and he attempted to groom her. At this point in this investigation, there is no evidence that there was any physical contact, nor are there any allegations of physical contact, but my detectives are still investigating," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "If he’s done this to someone before, we want to know about it. I commend the cadet who stepped forward with the information before the inappropriate communications escalated."
During an interview with detectives, Bush admitted he had become "emotionally entangled" with the victim, according to PCSO.
Investigators also say Bush confessed to deleting his text messages and telling the victim to delete hers, leading to additional charges tied to evidence tampering and communication device misuse.
Bush faces charges of authority figure engaging in a romantic relationship with a student, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Bush resigned from the PCSO following the investigation. He had been employed by the sheriff’s office since August 2022.
What's next:
Detectives say the investigation remains ongoing as they work to determine if there are other victims, or whether Bush may have engaged in similar behavior previously.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.