Taylor Cadle Sues Florida Sheriff’s Office, Alleging She Was Forced to Write an Apology Letter to Her Adoptive Father Who Abused Her for Years
Taylor Cadle’s story is one of unimaginable pain, courage, and the relentless search for justice. Today, at the age of 22, she is suing the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, accusing law enforcement officials of making her do the unthinkable — write an apology letter to the man who sexually abused her for years. That man was her adoptive father.
According to the lawsuit, filed in late October, Taylor was just a teenager when she finally gathered the courage to tell authorities what had been happening behind closed doors. Her adoptive father, whom she once trusted to protect her, had been abusing her repeatedly. When she went to the police, she expected safety, compassion, and accountability. Instead, she says, the system failed her in one of the most devastating ways possible.
In court documents, Taylor alleges that after revealing her abuse, she was pressured by deputies to write a letter apologizing to her abuser. The letter, dated June 29, 2017, began with the words, “Dear Dad,” and continued, “I’m sorry for what I did. I didn’t stop and think of my consequences… This will not happen again.” Those words, which she now says were written under the direction of law enforcement, have become a haunting symbol of how institutions meant to protect survivors can instead silence and retraumatize them.
The lawsuit claims that the deputies’ actions were not only inappropriate but a direct violation of her rights. By compelling her to apologize to the man who had raped her, the complaint says, they caused further emotional harm and obstructed justice. Her legal team argues that this incident reflects a broader pattern of mishandling cases of sexual violence — a failure rooted in negligence, lack of trauma-informed training, and a disregard for victims’ dignity.
Taylor’s attorneys are demanding accountability from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, as well as policy changes to ensure this never happens again. Her case has reignited a painful but necessary conversation about how sexual assault survivors are treated by law enforcement, especially when they are young, vulnerable, or reporting abuse within their own families.
In interviews, Taylor has said that for years she struggled to understand why she was made to apologize — as if she had done something wrong. She described how it deepened her shame and confusion, making it harder to heal or believe that justice was possible. “I was a kid who asked for help,” she said in one statement, “and instead of protecting me, they made me feel guilty for what someone else did to me.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation. However, the case has sparked widespread outrage and empathy online, with many people expressing disbelief that such a situation could occur in modern policing. Advocates for survivors of abuse have called Taylor’s story a stark reminder of why trauma-informed training and survivor-centered approaches are vital in every law enforcement department.
Taylor’s decision to come forward — not just about her abuse, but about the systemic failures that followed — is being praised as an act of extraordinary bravery. Many survivors remain silent out of fear that they won’t be believed or will be mistreated by the same people they turn to for help. Her lawsuit, regardless of its outcome, shines a powerful light on what needs to change: accountability, empathy, and reform.
Today, Taylor Cadle is no longer that frightened teenager forced to apologize to her abuser. She’s a young woman standing up not only for herself but for countless others who have been failed by the system. Her story is difficult to read, but it’s one that demands to be heard — because silence only protects the abuser, never the survivor.
