LAKELAND, Fla. – Two Lakeland women, including the executive director of Hope House in Bartow, were arrested for sexual cyber harassment on Monday, deputies said.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Kristina Taylor, 36, and Tara Johnson, 36, were arrested Monday evening for distributing digital sexually explicit images of a man without his permission.
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The images were sent to the man’s new girlfriend after Taylor, who deputies said is his ex-girlfriend, and Johnson, Taylor’s friend, found out he was dating someone new.
What we know:
PCSO’s investigation began on Thursday, October 16, when authorities were made aware of the alleged sexual cyber harassment.
Deputies said they discovered a former girlfriend of the victim had shared sexually explicit and private photos and videos with another person without his permission. After that, the images were sent to the victim’s new girlfriend, according to PCSO.
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Taylor is accused of sharing the digital files with her friend, Johnson, who is the executive director of the Hope House in Bartow, according to deputies.
That’s when Johnson told detectives that she had concerns about the man’s character, and reached out to the new girlfriend on Facebook. In their messages, deputies said Johnson sent the explicit photos and video, which showed the victim and Taylor, to the new girlfriend.
What they’re saying:
“Sharing intimate and personal images of someone without their permission can cause harm to the reputation of the victim,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement after the arrests. “And the motivation to do something like this to someone is typically out of spite, anger, or jealousy. It serves no purpose other than to humiliate or intimidate.”
Big picture view:
Taylor, who is a partner with an insurance business, and Johnson were both booked at the sheriff’s processing center on a sexual cyber harassment charge, PCSO said.
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The backstory:
The Hope House is best known as the “My Girl” house, which was the blue and yellow house used during the filming of the popular coming-of-age movie in the early 90s.
The house was purchased by the Hope House organization in 2022. The organization runs a 12-month residential maternity program that prepares single moms for life and motherhood.
The Source: The information in this story was released by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
