A Lakeland Man Accused Of Lying About His Age To Have Sex With Minor: Sheriff

POLK COUNTY, FL — A 47-year-old man was arrested on a charge of directing sexual performance by a child Thursday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

This comes less than a week after a child pornography investigation by undercover detectives netted 16 Polk County men and boys who range from ages 15 — 68. Suspect, Timothy Jacobs, of Lakeland is accused of making contact with a local child via Snapchat and asking her to send nude photos of herself. She complied with his requests eventually. He told the girl he was 17 years old, according to investigators. Jacobs is also accused of sending nude photos of himself to the minor.

The social media chats began in March 2020, and Jacobs turned the conversations sexual in May 2020, deputies said. October 17, 2020, Jacobs allegedly drove to the victim's house. As he introduced himself to her step-father outside the house, he noticed Jacobs was a grown man. Her step-dad told her to go inside, and Jacobs left.

Her mom looked over cell phone bills and found a phone number associated with her daughter's phone that turned out to be Jacobs'. Further investigation revealed that the wife of Jacobs was friends with the girl's mom. The wife told authorities that her husband had gotten a new cell phone the day he drove to the girl's house.

“The actions of this sick manipulator have not only caused a tremendous amount of grief for the victim’s family, but to his own family as well," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "These were textbook tactics used by predators to groom young victims. And this is another example of why parents need to monitor their child’s activities on social media, games, and cell phones.”

Jacobs faces the following charges, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office:

• Directing sexual performance by a child
• Using a computer to seduce a child
• Use of communication device to commit a felony
• Transmitting material harmful to a minor

Related Patch Story:

• More Than 2,000 Child Porn Images Found On 16 Suspects: Cops