Florida child SA victim, forced to write an apology letter to her abuser, sees her day in court as a secret videotape proves abuse

Content warning: This article describes child sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.

A long-running legal battle has reached a pivotal moment in Polk County, Florida, as Taylor Cadle, a woman who was once wrongfully accused of lying about sexual abuse, now moves forward with a civil lawsuit against authorities. A secret recording she made years ago is central to her case, according to Florida news outlet Click Orlando.

Abuse, denial, and forced apology

Taylor Cadle, adopted by her great-uncle Henry Cadle and his wife after spending time in foster care, later disclosed that she had been sexually abused by Henry over a period of years. In 2016, when she was about 12, she reported the abuse to an adult at her church, prompting a law enforcement investigation. Detectives ultimately did not proceed against Henry. Instead, they concluded that Taylor had ‘falsified information’ and charged her with giving false statements.

In 2017, Taylor—then only 13—pled guilty, apparently under pressure and without effective legal counsel, and was granted probation. One of the conditions? She had to write apology letters: one to her abuser and another to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Secret videotape changes the narrative

So, instead of restitution or protection, Taylor was punished, all while Henry remained in her life. However, a short time later, Taylor says she endured another assault by Henry in his vehicle. This time, she had her cellphone at the ready. She secretly recorded video and took photographs of the abuse.

Immediately afterward, she called 911. When authorities later confronted Henry with the images, he reportedly acknowledged that it was him appearing in the photos, though he alleged he’d been “set up.”

Following that, Taylor’s prior guilty plea was vacated, and her case against Henry moved forward. In 2019, Henry was ultimately convicted of sexual battery of a minor and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Taylor’s earlier charge was dismissed.

The 2025 lawsuit

On October 10, 2025, Taylor filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court, naming Henry, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Detective Melissa Turnage among the defendants. The complaint alleges wrongful prosecution, failure to train investigators in child abuse cases, malicious prosecution, and suppression of evidence that would have backed her claims at the outset.

Taylor argues that she was unjustly forced to plead guilty, apologizing to her abuser, and that law enforcement repeatedly dismissed her valid claims. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is also named, in part, over policies and rhetoric that allegedly led to the criminalization of child victims. In response, the sheriff’s office issued a statement defending its past investigations.

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673