A Florida sheriff vows to lock up parents because of TikTok’s approach to recruiting teenagers
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The practice of “juvenile abduction” has caught the attention of Sheriff Grady Judd, with the Florida sheriff vowing to hold parents accountable for their unruly children.
“There’s a new TikTok trend,” Sheriff Judd said in a social media video Thursday. “You know, going into restaurants, dumpsters, hookups, crazy.”
“Listen, that’s not going to work in Polk County,” he said.
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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid announced Thursday that 24 students have been arrested since the start of the school year for making threats. (Polk County Schools YouTube)
Now Judd is raising the stakes and warning that he will hold parents of teenagers who participate in social media videos to account if necessary.
“Mom and dad, if you don’t answer them personally, make sure they are home at the right time, we will come and arrest them, or charge them according to the law”.
“But parents, answer your children, so we don’t have to do that,” said Sherriff Judd. “We’ll hold them accountable if you do, but we’ll also arrest you. Think about that. Have a good summer.”
Authorities arrested 22 people during a riot at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa, Fla., on May 8, 2026. (Tampa Police Department)
Judd’s message comes as cities across the country grapple with youth takeovers that are causing chaos.
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Polk County has a curfew for children, for youth under the age of 17. Curfew is 11pm to 6am Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6am Friday and Saturday. For 17-year-olds, it’s midnight to 6 a.m. every day.
In the nearby village of Hillsborough, directly adjacent to Polk County, police announced that they had arrested 22 people between the ages of 12 and 21 years old, as part of a May 8 youth roundup.
Department police were then sent to the scene and deployed air patrols to eliminate these children, and body camera images showing chaos when police rushed to the scene and began arresting where the youth were taken in Tampa, Florida on Friday, May 8, 2026. (Tampa Police Department)
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The Tampa Police Department immediately responded with officers, motorcycle units, and air crews to restore the situation and ensure the safety of the surrounding community.
“This type of reckless and criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our city,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.
“What started as a large gathering quickly turned into a distraction and a job that puts others at risk. Parents need to know where their children are and who they are with. Unfortunately, the bad decisions made by these 22 people last night can have lasting consequences that follow them into adulthood,” he said.
As a result of this campaign, 22 people were arrested for crimes including fraud, possession of drugs, resistance to violence and illegal possession of weapons. The police seized two guns and one car connected to the incident.
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The growing problem has prompted the state’s top prosecutor in the nation’s capital to call for more accountability in tackling youth crime as his office focuses on strengthening law enforcement and expanding staffing.
“Youth violence is on the rise – not just in DC, but all over the country. And if you think that these kids need to be paid, and they need to be embraced – they need to have consequences, they need to understand that enough is enough, that we’re going to put them in jail or some kind of youth detention center and not let the DC Council – one of whom I recently impeached – Pirro just put these kids.
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“It’s time to end it. That’s what the president wants, that’s what we’re going to do.”
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