Johnathan Sharon forced his victim to perform sexual acts on him for 9 years, punching and choking her until she cooperated.

A jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding Sharon, 24, guilty of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12 while the defendant is under the age of 18, lewd molestation, and committing an unnatural and lascivious act.

He is facing life in prison and will be sentenced July 11. ... See more

Johnathan Sharon forced his victim to perform sexual acts on him for 9 years. A jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding Sharon, 24, guilty of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12 while the defendant is under the age of 18, lewd molestation, and committing an unnatu... ... See more

"The 2003 rape case that led to Berouty’s arrest had been delayed for years after the rape kit in the case had gone untested. When DNA testing was done two years ago, it linked Berouty, 47, of Winter Haven, to the attack."

On May 2, a jury convicted Berouty of sexual battery, and a couple weeks ago, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

We're thankful for the hard work of Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Van Der Burgh in securing this conviction and sentence. ... See more

The 2003 rape case that led to Stephen Berouty’s arrest had been delayed for years after the rape kit in the case had gone untested. When DNA

As this week comes to a close, we'd like to highlight our last officer.

Polk County Sheriff's Office Detective Tonya Wright was honored for her work on the Lenard Masten case. At gunpoint, Masten stole $1,000 from an elderly couple and their son, attempted to destroy their cellphones, and forced them into a small closet. Masten was found guilty of three counts of robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, two counts of armed false imprisonment, burglary of a dwelling with an assault while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with a witness and was sentenced to life.

“Handling big cases is not a rare occurrence for Detective Wright,” said State Attorney Brian Haas. “She handles a lot of them, and each time, she approaches the case with the high level of work we have come to know her by.” ... See more

In keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year. “We are bl... ... See more

Last month, State Attorney Brian Haas delivered the keynote speech for LakelandPD's "Do the Right Thing" ceremony. This program honored students from across Polk County and celebrated them for choosing to do what was right instead of turning a blind eye.

The children who were honored made all kinds of fantastic decisions, from reporting handguns at school to helping other students in need. State Attorney Haas was proud to help recognize these young people in our community who are making wise decisions and are providing hope for our future.

Thanks for capturing the event, LPD!
#ThrowbackThursday #DoTheRightThing ... See more