LAKELAND, Fla. – An assistant coach for a Lakeland girls’ softball team was arrested late last month on charges including possession of child pornography and transmitting harmful material to a minor. Harold Tittle, 33, of Lakeland, was taken into custody by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on April 26.
Tittle, who served as an assistant coach for the “Bat Intentions” team within the Lakeland Girls Softball League, faces charges of unlawful use of a 2-way communication device (F3), transmitting material harmful to a minor (F3), and four counts of possession of child pornography (F3).
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on April 25, 2025, after a relative of a teenage girl contacted deputies. The relative reported that a 33-year-old man known to the family was engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations with the girl and that explicit nude photos and videos had been exchanged between them.
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Detectives learned that Tittle allegedly used the social media platform Snapchat to solicit nude pictures from the victim, who was 16 years old at the time of the initial interactions and later turned 17. He reportedly asked for explicit photos of her body parts, and this solicitation and grooming led to an exchange of more sexually explicit images and videos. Tittle also sent nude pictures of himself to the girl, according to the report.
When a PCSO detective made contact with Tittle, he reportedly stated he knew exactly why the detective was speaking with him as soon as Snapchat was mentioned. Tittle confessed to sending a nude image of himself to the victim and asking her to send nude photos to him. He also admitted to using another device to photograph and record at least one video of the victim’s images while they were visible on Snapchat. Detectives subsequently recovered these images and video from Tittle’s cell phone.
Tittle reportedly admitted that he was aware the victim was 16 and 17 years old during the time of these exchanges, stating he used “bad judgment.” He denied victimizing any other girls, including those he had contact with through the softball team he coached.
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Based on the information gathered, Tittle’s admissions, and the evidence collected, including child pornography found on his device, he was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail.
Sheriff Grady Judd condemned Tittle’s actions in a statement, saying, “Tittle’s actions are reprehensible. He groomed this girl to provide sexually explicit content. Though he has denied victimizing other girls, we ask anyone—parents or kids—to talk to us if they know of any inappropriate contact from Harold Tittle with any underage child or teen.”
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