News and Investigations

On Monday, April 4, 2016, Polk County Sheriff's Special Victims Unit detectives served a Polk County warrant on 34-year-old Bryan Christopher Bobo of Vero Beach for one count Traveling to Meet a Minor, one count Interference with Custody, one count Use of Two-Way Communication Device to Commit Felony, and one count Use of Computer to Seduce a Child.

According to the affidavit, on March 24, 2016, Bobo met the 17-year-old Polk County girl on a social dating site and mobile phone application, during which they had conversations that were sexual in nature. Bobo made plans to travel to Polk County and pick up the girl and take her back to his home in Indian River County. That same evening, Bobo came to Polk County and picked up the girl. As soon as she got into his truck, he had her throw her cell phone out of the window so that nobody could track her down. He drove her to his house, where they engaged in sexual activity. Meanwhile, the girl's family reported her as a missing runaway.

The next day he drove her back to Polk County and dropped her off at a convenience store. The girl walked to a relative's home and reported the sexual abuse. 

The victim only knew the suspect as "Christopher" or "Brian" and described his home and vehicles. Through forensic analysis of the victim's phone, which was found on the roadway where she had thrown it out, detectives were able to positively identify the suspect with whom she was communicating as Bryan Christopher Bobo of Vero Beach. All of the vehicles registered to Bobo positively matched the vehicles the victim saw parked at his house, and the truck in which she rode. She further identified him through photos. 

Detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest and responded to Indian River County, where they worked with Indian River County Sheriff's detectives to place Bobo under arrest. Post-Miranda, he admitted to meeting the girl online, picking her up, taking her home, and having sex with her. He was booked into the Indian River County Jail on the Polk County warrant, and also charged by that agency for unlawful sex with a minor. He will be extradited back to Polk County at a later date. 

The following is an excerpt from the affidavit: 

The suspect did seduce, solicit, lure, or entice the victim to engaged in unlawful sexual conducted violating FSS 847.0135(3).

The suspect traveled by a vehicle for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual conducted with the victim after using a computer/cellular phone online service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to seduce, solicit, lure, entice the victim to engage in unlawful sexual conduct violating FSS 847.0135(4)(a).

The suspect did use a smartphone, a 2-way communication device, to facilitate a felony "solicitation of the victim" to engage in unlawful sexual conduct violating FSS 934.215.

The suspect did, without lawful authority, knowingly or recklessly takes, or entices, or aids, abets, hires, or otherwise procures another to take or entice, any minor or any incompetent person from the custody of the minor's or incompetent person's parent, his or her guardian, a public agency having the lawful charge of the minor or incompetent person, or any other lawful custodian violating FSS 787.03(1). 

"Here's another example of how easy it is for predators to prey upon children via the Internet, and why it's so important that parents are involved in their children's activities. This victim met with a man who is twice her age. She's very fortunate that he didn't physically hurt her any worse than he did, and that he even drove her back to Polk County. This is a very, very scary situation that could have been even worse. Parents, please take heed of our warnings, and invade your child's privacy - there should never be another example like this, in our county or elsewhere." - Sheriff Grady Judd