TAMPA, Fla. — A woman from Polk County is hoping her story, and a new lawsuit, will prevent what she endured as a child from ever happening again. 

Taylor Cadle was 12 when she told a sheriff’s office detective she'd been raped for years by her adoptive father. But what happened next added to her trauma.

Cadle says her trust was first broken by her great uncle and adoptive father, who she said raped her countless times for years, beginning when she was just 9 years old.

“I have a hard time to this day trusting anybody,” she said. “I was just hoping that it would end.”

In 2016, she told a pastor's wife, then a detective for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. But the detective didn't believe her.

“I was hurt, I was confused, I didn't understand why,” she said. “Not even just [the detective], but everyone around me wasn't listening, and nobody was hearing me.”

Cadle was charged with filing a false report and forced to write apologies to the detective, and Henry Cadle, who didn't stop abusing his adoptive daughter. A month later, she took matters into her own hands, taking photos of him raping her again.

“I contemplated making that call and was trying to talk myself out of it for a good minute before I ended up calling 911 that night,” she said.

Henry Cadle was then charged and convicted of sex crimes, with a 17-year sentence. Taylor Cadle’s lawsuit is against Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and two detectives, accusing them of violating her Constitutional rights by punishing her instead of believing her.

Judd's office released a statement saying:

Unfortunately, in today’s highly litigious society, lawyers will file frivolous lawsuits for just about anything, including second guessing nine year old criminal investigations, and then run to the news media attempting to get publicity for their lawsuit. In this case, our deputies did an extensive investigation and made deliberate and rational decisions based upon the information and evidence we had at the time.

We look forward to vigorously defending against these baseless and fabricated allegations in court.

“Institutions that were created to protect the public safety should ensure that children are treated with the dignity that they deserve,” said Cadle’s lawyer, Brenda Harkavy.

Cadle said she is willing to relive her trauma to make sure another child doesn't experience her horror.

“I feel like I have to be the voice for some people who don't have a voice,” she said.

LAKELAND, Fla. — In hopes of reducing speeding in school zones and promoting safer driving to protect students in Lakeland, police say they will soon roll out a program, once the installation of speeding cameras is ready, which is currently nearing completion.

On Dec. 31, officials from the City of Lakeland and its police department said they are currently in the process of activating 14 cameras near eight school entrances. Officials say the program will begin with a warning period, and then in February, police will begin issuing violations.

Drivers who violate the speed limit will receive $100 citations.

“The goal of these new pieces of technology is to keep our students safe by changing driver behavior in our school zones. No one should be speeding in school zones," Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor said.

"Drivers traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted school-zone speed limit while the school-zone flashing lights are active will be found in violation," Lakeland officials stated. Before issuing warnings, Lakeland police will review the images.

The warning period will run through the month of January. This is to give time to drivers to learn about the measure. During this period, drivers going past the speed limit will receive warning notices in their mail, addressed to the registered owner of the car, according to Lakeland police.

The locations for the school zone speeding cameras are:

• Lincoln Academy – 10th Street
• Crystal Lake Elementary / Crystal Lake Middle School – N. Crystal Lake Drive and S. Crystal Lake Drive
• Southwest Middle School – Lincoln Avenue
• North Lakeland Elementary – W. Robson Street
• Lakeland High School – Hollingsworth Road
• Lakeland Highlands Middle – Lake Miriam Drive
• Sleepy Hill Elementary – Sleepy Hill Road
• Dixieland Elementary, Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle School – Beacon Road

This is part of the police department's Vision Zero program, aiming to "eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes." For more information, visit the program's website.

LAKELAND, Fla. — One person is dead and another was airlifted to the hospital following a house fire in Polk County.

Polk County Fire Rescue responded Wednesday morning to a single-family home on Bendelow Drive in Lakeland, where crews found an individual outside of it who needed medical assistance. That person was airlifted by a helicopter to a local hospital.

Crews saw the fire coming from the back bedroom of the home. 

PCFR then entered the home to get the fire under control and searched for others inside.

Firefighters found one person inside the home, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

“It’s always a tragedy when death occurs in a manner like this — especially during the holiday season. All Polk County Fire Rescue members give our condolences to the family and friends of the individual that passed away,” Fire Chief Shawn Smith said in a statement. “We also hope for a speedy recovery for the individual transported from the scene.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A warning ahead of the New Year’s holiday: the mother of a man killed with his fiancée the day after Christmas is sharing their story in hopes of saving lives.

Garrison Gravley, 22, and Miya Brannon, 18, died when troopers say a suspected drunk driver drove into oncoming traffic and hit a tractor-trailer; the trailer then hit the couple's pickup truck head-on.

Garrison’s mom has an urgent message for anyone thinking about drinking and driving this New Year’s week. Brenda Gravley says people should remember that drinking and driving can easily take a life like her son and Brannon, who she says were madly in love.

“Garrison was extremely funny and unique and goofy,” she said. “He loved to play the guitar. He actually had a voice, but you couldn't ever get him to sing for you. I mean, I tried to catch him a few times off guard, but he always knew that mama was there.”

Killed with his fiancée, Miya, in a chain reaction crash the day after Christmas as the couple headed from their new apartment in Winter Haven to Georgia to see her family. Troopers say Seenarine Hardeo caused the collision by driving drunk. Court records show he was convicted in 2007 for DUI, 3rd offense.

“Miya and Garrison were like two peas in a pod,” Gravley adds. “They truly, truly loved each other.”

Florida Highway Patrol and AAA say New Year's Eve and early into New Year's Day are the most dangerous times of the year on the roads, especially for DUI crashes.

“Have a plan in place before you party,” Mark Jenkins with AAA said. “That means identifying a designated driver or downloading that ride-sharing app on your phone.”

As Gravley plans a celebration of life, she pleads for people to think twice, especially this week, before endangering others on the road.

“[Hardeo] was drunk driving, hit a semi, the semi hit my son and Miya head-on, and they, from what I was told, they died instantly,” she said. “Every time you get behind the wheel with alcohol in you, you're putting yourself at risk to take away someone else's love, someone else's life, someone else's heart.”

AAA also has its free “Tow to Go” program to tow your car for you through Friday night if you're impaired, even if you're not a member.

Gravley said she worries Hardeo might get bond during his arraignment next month.

“My concern is that come Jan. 20, this man is going to be allowed bail, that he’s going to take off running, that he's going to be gone,” she said. “And my son and my future daughter-in-law are not going to get the justice that they deserve.”

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Eight years later, authorities continue to search for a missing Lakeland Air Force veteran and Disney employee.

Brian Klecha was last seen making a banking transaction on Dec. 27, 2017, at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union in Auburndale.  He was 35 years old at the time of his disappearance, and is now 42.

In Feb. 2018, Klecha’s Jeep Patriot was found abandoned on State Road 618 in Tampa at the Morgan Street exit. Investigators believe the Jeep had been involved in a car accident a few days earlier.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says Klecha may have been the victim of domestic or drug abuse, and believes he did not leave or go missing on his own.

“Eight years have passed and we are just as committed as ever to finding out the truth of what happened,” FDLE Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said in a statement.

Brutnell previously stated Klecha had a good job, friends and loved his pets. Following his disappearance, no one heard from him and pets were also abandoned.

Authorities also say a storage unit with some of his belongings was auctioned off by the storage unit.

"You just don't vanish off the face of the Earth," Brutnell said.

Klecha has ties Orange, Polk and Hillsborough counties.

If you have information about the whereabouts or disappearance of Klecha, you are asked to call Special Agent Rich Rodriguez at (813) 878-7347.

“If you have any information that can help us locate Brian, no matter how small, call us,” Brutnell said. “Even the tiniest shred of information can bring him that much closer to coming home.”