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Girls assistant softball coach arrested for exchanging nude photos with 16-year-old girl in Lakeland: PCSO

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LAKELAND, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office said a Lakeland man was arrested for exchanging nude photos with a teenage girl and possessing child pornography.

PCSO said on April 25, deputies were told by a relative of a 16-year-old girl that Harold Tittle, 33, was having inappropriate conversations with her where explicit photos and videos were exchanged.

Watch full report from Polk County reporter Rebecca Petit

Softball coach arrested for exchanging nude photos with teen girl in Lakeland

According to PCSO, Tittle was an assistant softball coach for the Lakeland Girls Softball League's "Bat Intentions" team. He was known to the victim and her family.

Detectives learned that Tittle allegedly solicited pictures from the victim via Snapchat. Tittle also allegedly sent nude photos of himself to the girl.

According to PCSO, when deputies contacted Tittle and mentioned Snapchat, Tittle told the deputy he knew why the deputy was speaking to him. Officials said Tittle confessed to sending nude photos of himself to the victim and asking the victim to send nude photos to him.

PCSO said Tittle told detectives that he used another device to take pictures and record video of the victim while the images were on Snapchat. When detectives recovered Tittle's phone, they found these images.

According to authorities, Tittle admitted that he knew the victim was 16 years old at the time of these exchanges. He denied victimizing other girls, including the girls he had contact with on the softball team he coached.

“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,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

PCSO charged Tittle with unlawful use of a two-way communication device, transmitting material harmful to a minor, and four counts of possession of child pornography. He has been booked into Polk County Jail.


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