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Polk Co. girls victims of sextortion

Posted at 3:22 PM, Feb 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-11 17:18:37-05
A Cape Coral man has been arrested and charged with sextortion.
 
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Lucas Bales, 25, is accused using KIK to harass two young girls in Polk County.
 
Bales used the screen name, "Daddy."
 
He told an 11-year-old girl that he was going to post her home address on the Internet, ask people to come rape her, set her house on fire, or hurt her, unless the girl sent him nude photos and videos of herself, according to the arrest affidavit.
 
The girl told her father, who called police and tried to engage with Bales.  
 
Detectives were able to located another 12-year-old in Polk County who was being threatened and extorted by ".Daddy."
 
On Wednesday, deputies arrested Bales at his home in Cape Coral.
 
Detectives seized Bales' cell phone, laptop, desktop computer, and PlayStation gaming system. 
 
During a preliminary search of Bales' electronic devices, detectives found messages where Bales was threatening and extorting the girls, and soliciting them for nude photos. 
 
Bales faces a long list of charges.
 
He will be extradited to Polk County at a later date.
 
"Here is another very scary example of how predators are victimizing your children on the Internet and via cell phones. This is also another shining example of how parents are the first line of defense against child predators. This young girl did the right thing by immediately reporting the crime to her father, and he did the right thing by immediately reporting it to us. We hope there are no other victims out there, but if you have been contacted by Lucas Bales, we urge you to contact PCSO or Cape Coral Police," said Sheriff Grady Judd.