POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A former Polk County deputy has been arrested after investigators say he had inappropriate communications with a teenage cadet.
Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) charged 29-year-old Skylar Lamar Bush with authority figure engaging in a romantic relationship with a student, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Another cadet reported seeing the exchanges between Bush and a 16-year-old girl under his supervision in the PCSO cadet program.
The teen girl confirmed the communications and said some of Bush’s messages were "weird," including statements about falling in love and wanting her to have his children.
Bush admitted to being "emotionally entangled" with the teen girl and he admitted to deleting messages, while instructing her to do the same.
He resigned from the agency. PCSO said his employment would have been terminated had he not resigned.
Bush was hired in August 2022.
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