News and Investigations

On Saturday, January 11, 2025, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 22-year-old Emerick Priddy of West Palm Beach, FL, after he groomed a 14-year-old Polk County girl online then traveled here to engage in sexual activity with her.
 
Deputies spotted the suspect's Honda Civic parked in a parking lot just before 3:00 a.m. that morning. They found Priddy in the backseat with the victim. Both were in various stages of undress.

Priddy told deputies that he was 17 years old, but when they ran his driver's license in the system, they learned he is actually 22 years old.

The investigation revealed that Priddy met the victim on Snapchat, and convinced her to sneak out of her home in the middle of the night and meet him. He then drove from his residence in West Palm Beach to her home in Polk County, where the victim climbed out of a bedroom window and got in Priddy’s vehicle. Priddy then drove her to the park, where they got into the backseat and engaged in sex. He told the victim when he met her online that he was 17 years old. She told him that she was 14 years old to which he replied, "its prolly a one time thing" and "I aint worried."

Priddy was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:

• Traveling to meet a minor for sex (F2)
• Lewd battery (F2) 
• Transmission of material harmful to a minor (F3)
• Interference with child custody (F3)
• Use of a two-way communication device in a felony (F2)

“Emerick Priddy picked the wrong county to come to and sexually batter a child. He's now facing five felonies and hopefully will be registered as a sexual offender for the rest of his life.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff