In 2016, a 12-year-old named Taylor Cadle reported to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in central Florida, that she had been raped by her adoptive father. The detective investigating the case didn’t believe her, and Taylor was charged with filing a false police report, a first-degree misdemeanor. As part of the terms of her probation, she was required to write an apology letter to her adoptive father. Soon after, he abused Taylor again—and this time, Taylor took photos and video of the incident on her phone. Taylor’s evidence led to her adoptive father ultimately getting sentenced to 17 years in prison.
But, as Rachel de Leon and I detailed in an investigation last fall, the fallout from the case was minimal: Sheriff Grady Judd, a charismatic, tough-on-crime influencer with more than 780,000 TikTok followers, never apologized to Taylor or acknowledged the case publicly—despite his often-repeated phrase, “If you mess up, then dress up, fess up, and fix it up.” When we published our piece, the detective investigating the case, Melissa Turnage, was still on track to become sergeant. (After the story came out, she was required to complete a weeklong online course on interrogation techniques.)
The Center for Investigative Reporting’s story, which aired on PBS NewsHour and published in Mother Jones, led commenters to flood the sheriff’s office’s TikTok and Instagram pages with comments demanding justice for Taylor. But soon after being posted, many of those comments mysteriously disappeared from view, prompting more anger.
Screenshots from TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram appear to show the sheriff’s office has been routinely filtering out comments criticizing its handling of the case. Recently deleted comments suggest that it is automatically removing comments that include the word “Taylor” from public view.
That’s fucked. Of course this asshole on his high horse is a hypocritical coward.
I’m admittedly ignorant how these platforms work, as I’ve gone out of my way to avoid them. How is it possible for the sheriff’s office to filter/delete comments made by other users? Is that something anyone can do for any comments made on your own posts?
Also, if these accounts are managed by a government office, can the hidden/deleted comments be retrieved through a public records request? (Assuming they comply with such request, though I wouldn’t hold my breath…)
Damn, that poor kid. Massive respect to her for getting evidence, reporting it again, and getting him locked up. But what a nightmare to go through.
As always, ACAB.
No exceptions.
Large scale institutional changes can only happen with effort from within. By saying ACAB, you’re further isolating police who could be part of a positive change, and instead entrenching them. ACAB is an oversimplification that doesn’t help move the issue in the right direction. I don’t have a good answer but just shouting ACAB into the void isn’t it.
Acab is a warning to others not to trust police … Not a call to institute change…lmfao
Clown
So you want division and you just want something to be mad at. You don’t want things to improve. Got it. At least you’re self aware by signing your comment “Clown”
Cops are… bad
But its jsut one bad apple /s
