Lady Lake

LADY LAKE, Florida—A Lady Lake man has bonded out of the Lake County Jail on $20,000 bond after a search warrant at his home revealed at least 10 images of child pornography containing male and female children as young as 1 year old, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) began investigating images that that were uploaded to from IP address that belongs to Michael Pollitt, 61, of Lady Lake, the affidavit states.

On Wednesday, FDLE served a search warrant at Pollitt’s home on First Avenue and recovered two laptops and a phone belonging to Pollitt. The devices underwent a forensic analysis and at least 10 images were found depicting boys and girls, some as young as 1 year old and wearing diapers, according to the affidavit. The descriptions of the children are extremely graphic.

Pollitt, who has a juvenile living in his home, was arrested Tuesday for 10 counts of possession of sexual performance by a child. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 19.  

LADY LAKE, Florida—A Fort Pierce man destroyed his mom’s apartment and texted her to tell her about it, according to an arrest affidavit.

Brett Barton Moorhouse, 34, texted his mom Sunday afternoon and said he was headed over, she told Lady Lake Police. The woman told Moorhouse he was not welcome, and he later texted her and stated, “Go check your apartment I made it up just for you. I admit everything 100%.”

The victim sent family members to check on her home and when they arrived, they found the door unlocked, the affidavit states. They opened the door, found the apartment in disarray, and called 9-1-1.

LLPD officers arrived and found that an unlocked window was likely the entry point; a knife was lying on the bed in the master bedroom and the mattress was stabbed multiple times. A fan was broken, and two televisions were broken, likely by being punched, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit. Food was also dumped from the refrigerator onto the floor.

Several hours later officers responded to a report of a suicidal male at a business on Avenida Central and Moorhouse was identified and taken into custody. He was arrested for burglary and felony criminal mischief and is being held in the Lake County Jail on $12,000 bond. 

LADY LAKE, Florida—A Georgia man busted Wednesday with 130 pressed pills that tested positive for cocaine is facing a trafficking charge and being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond due to a probation violation.

Corey Michael Payton, 43, of Douglas, Georgia, was pulled over near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27/441 and Water Oak Boulevard after a license plate reader alerted Lady Lake Police a stolen vehicle had entered the town, according to an arrest affidavit.

Lady Lake Police detained Payton and began to inventory the vehicle before having it towed and found a prescription bottle in the center console that contained 130 pills that resembled Xanax bars, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit. The pills were filed tested and tested positive for cocaine. Payton’s legitimate prescription was also located in the console.

Payton told police a friend of his lent him the vehicle and he knew the pills were in the console, but they did not belong to him. “Based on the statements made in reference to the stolen vehicle, there was insufficient evidence to proceed further with charging Mr. Payton with grand theft auto,” the officer stated in the affidavit.

Payton was arrested for trafficking cocaine and transported to LCJ. He is also facing a violation of probation and is being held on no bond.