Polk County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation back in 2022 regarding a possible inappropriate sexual relationship between a Bradenton man and a minor. Allegedly, the two met up over two dozen times and engaged in various sexual activities when they met up. After a thorough investigation, a forensic interview and a clarification interview, the suspect, Robert Jacobus (W/M, 08-08-1994) was arrested.
Jacobus was charged with one (1) count of Lewd Battery and one (1) count of Travel to Meet a Minor.
It should be noted that this is an unedited report of facts by Polk County Sheriff’s Office. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. Winter Haven Daily does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to your own conclusion.
“On 03/23/2022 the Polk County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation involving a possible inappropriate sexual in nature relationship between the victim, REDACTED (who was 15 years at time) and the suspect, Robert Jacobus (27 years old at the time). The initial follow up investigation was conducted by Detective Watson #8459. This case was reassigned to me on 12/07/2023.
On 04/21/2022, a forensic interview was conducted with the victim at the Children’s Advocacy Center located 1260 Golfview Ave, Bartow, Florida. During the forensic interview the victim disclosed REDACTED met the suspect while playing “airlift” in Lithia, FL. The victim advised REDACTED met the suspect near the beginning of 2021-2022 school year. The victim stated REDACTED and the suspect would communicate via social media, phone calls and text. The victim advised sometime between October and December their conversation changed from friendly chat to more when he began to talk about his ex-girlfriend. The victim stated the suspect would tell REDACTED that he would support REDACTED and be there for anything REDACTED needed. The victim advised REDACTED calls the suspect telling REDACTED was pretty but too young. The victim stated the suspect purchased Christmas gifts for REDACTED, snacks and other stuff for school because REDACTED’s parent were struggling with money. The victim stated the suspect lives somewhere between Brandon and Sarasota. The victim advised the suspect gave REDACTED two phones in case REDACTED needed to contact him. The victim described REDACTED relationship with the suspect as “dating”. The victim advised REDACTED and the suspect did “sext” and discussed having sex, kissing and “stuff”.
Using investigative resources I located Robert Jacobus (W/M, 08-08-1994) with an address of REDACTED Bradenton, Florida 34203.
On 04/30/2024 Detective Roman #7883 responded to REDACTED with and presented a photo pack to the victim where REDACTED positively identified Robert Jacobus as the suspect.
05/01/2024 I responded to REDACTED Bradenton, Florida 34203 and conducted a post Miranda interview with Robert Jacobus.
Robert admitted to meeting the victim while playing “airsoft.” Robert stated he communicated with the victim via a phone he provided REDACTED and met up with REDACTED 5-7 times between approximately the end of 2021 to March 2022. The suspect stated he and the victim would always meet in the early hours of the morning between approximately 0100-0200 hours.
The suspect admitted to traveling in (a vehicle he no longer owns) his silver Chevy Cruz from his residence which at the time was located at REDACTED Palmetto, Florida 33421 to a road near where the victim lived within Polk County. The suspect stated the victim would sneak out of REDACTED house, meet him on the side of the road near REDACTED house where he would pick REDACTED up and drive REDACTED to a nearby plaza, McDonalds (approximately three miles away from REDACTED house), or the park (approximately five miles away from REDACTED house) nearby. The suspect stated the plaza was down the road from REDACTED residence.
The suspect stated the victim did try to “make a move” on him multiple times but at first he did not feel comfortable. The suspect stated initially he did not allow the victim “to go for more” because he wasn’t “ready.” The suspect described the victim acting like “a dog in heat” moaning. The suspect stated he was “overwhelmed” by the victim’s “distinctive aroma” coming from REDACTED vaginal area. The suspect stated he eventually gave in and allowed the victim to have REDACTED way by having vaginal/penile sexual intercourse with REDACTED.
The suspect stated the last time he met up with the victim he “slipped up” and had sexual intercourse with REDACTED.
The suspect stated the incident occurred while they were parked near a plaza (two miles down the road from where he picked the victim up). The suspect described the plaza located on Havendale Blvd (Hwy 544) and 42nd Street. Per the suspect, the victim pulled down REDACTED clothing, pulled his pants down, got on top of him, and the two engaged in vaginal/penile sexual intercourse after he placed a condom on himself. The suspect stated the victim “rode” him until REDACTED was satisfied. The suspect then admitted to another incident where he and the victim engaged in sexual intercourse but stated he could not confirm.
The suspect stated the victim sent him a photograph of REDACTED “full body naked.” The suspect advised he did not think he asked the victim for the photograph and REDACTED just sent it to him on REDACTED own.
I informed the suspect that the victim was 15 years old at the time when he was 26-27 years old. The suspect admitted that perhaps he did not want to “proceed” with the victim because of “how young REDACTED looked.”
05/31/2024 I responded to REDACTED and conducted a clarification interview with the victim. The victim stated REDACTED and the suspect had contact and met with the suspect approximately 30 times. The victim stated REDACTED would sneak out of REDACTED house between 0100 and 0200 hours in the morning and meet the suspect down the road from REDACTED residence where he would pick REDACTED up and drive them to the parking lot of the McDonalds plaza (located at 498 Havendale Blvd, Auburndale). The victim stated the suspect lived and traveled from possibly Bradenton or Brandon (Sarasota area) to visit and pick REDACTED up during the time of the incidents.
The victim stated while REDACTED and the suspect were in the vehicle in the parking lot REDACTED and the suspect would engage in “sexual stuff” like kissing, vaginal/penile sexual intercourse, and REDACTED would perform oral sex on him by putting his “dick” in REDACTED mouth. The victim advised REDACTED and the suspect engaged in sexual activity approximately twenty times out of the thirty times they met. The victim stated before meeting the suspect REDACTED would communicate with him using her laptop computer and or the cell phone he provided REDACTED with to make the arrangements. The victim stated REDACTED does not remember the phone number to the phone the suspect provided REDACTED with but it was a phone number he added to his phone plan.
The victim advised the last time sexual activity occurred between REDACTED and the suspect was approximately a week and a half before REDACTED attended the forensic interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Bartow (04/21/2022).
The victim admitted to not disclosing everything during the forensic interview because REDACTED was trying to “defend” the suspect at the time.
At the conclusion of my investigation, I determined there is probable cause to charge the suspect, Robert Jacobus with violating one (1) count of Lewd Battery F.S.S. 800.04(4)(A), and one (1) count of Travel to Meet a Minor F.S.S. 847.0135(4)(A), The suspect, Robert Jacobus was 27 years old and the victim, REDACTED was 15 years old during the time when the incidents occurred.”
