POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 29-year-old deputy sheriff in Florida is out of a job and behind bars after investigators say he sent disturbing messages to a 16-year-old cadet, including telling her he was falling in love with her and wanted her to have his children.
Skylar Lamar Bush, who worked as an advisor for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office cadet program, was arrested Tuesday, April 28, 2026, on three felony charges: Authority Figure Engaging in a Romantic Relationship with a Student, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device.
The case started when another cadet came forward Monday and told deputies she had seen inappropriate messages between Bush and the teenage girl he was supposed to be supervising.
That triggered an immediate investigation, and when detectives spoke with the victim, she confirmed the messages were real. She described some of what Bush wrote to her as “weird.”
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According to the sheriff’s office, Bush didn’t stop there. He also admitted to deleting his own text messages and telling the girl to erase hers as well. Investigators say he described himself as being “emotionally entangled” with the teen.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement that so far, detectives have not found evidence of physical contact between Bush and the victim, and no one has alleged any. Still, Judd made clear how seriously his office is taking the situation.
“This 29-year-old demonstrated a gross obsession, and he attempted to groom her,” Judd said. “I commend the cadet who stepped forward with the information before the inappropriate communications escalated.”
He also asked anyone with additional information about Bush to come forward, adding, “If he’s done this to someone before, we want to know about it.”
Bush resigned from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office following the allegations. According to the agency, if he had not quit, he would have been fired. He had been with the department since August 2022.
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