Cansas Sadler Jr., 41, first made contact with the girl by sending a direct message through an online interactive mobile game called “The Wolf.”

WINTER HAVEN — The Polk County Sheriff's Office says an Okaloosa County deputy has been arrested for sending porn to a 9-year-old Winter Haven girl.

Cansas Sadler Jr., 41, was arrested in Shalimar following a joint investigation that found he had sent pornographic images to the girl, tried to get her to send nude photos of herself and attempted to convince the girl to meet for a sexual encounter.

According to a PCSO media statement issued at a press conference Thursday, Sadler first made contact with the girl by sending a direct message through an online interactive mobile game called “The Wolf.”

Sadler portrayed himself both as an 11-year-old girl named Jade and as an adult male named Jason, using both identities to manipulate the girl, the Sheriff's Office said.

The messages between Sadler and the girl began the morning of June 8 and ended the following day, when Sadler called the girl's cellphone and her mother answered, the PCSO said.

Prior to that, Sadler had sent the girl three pornographic images and numerous sexually explicit messages, the Sheriff's Office said. The photos were "images a 9-year-old girl should not have to see," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during the press conference.

Judd said the girl's sister noticed she was talking to Sadler online and told their mother, who then went through her phone and was holding it when Sadler tried to make contact.

"I'm disgusted, as a parent, a law enforcement officer and a human being, that a guy, a deputy sheriff, would manipulate a young child and expose her to this," Judd said. "Let this be a reminder to parents that they need to closely oversee their child's online activity — and to everyone else that we will not tolerate anyone preying on our children."

Sadler faces seven third-degree felony charges of transmitting material harmful to a minor, Judd said, adding that more charges may be forthcoming.

Sadler, a retired U.S. Army Ranger, has been terminated from his position at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. He had only been with the agency since July 2018 and was still in new-hire probationary status, according to the PCSO.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley said, "I'm always disheartened when someone sworn to serve and protect commits any crime, much less crimes of this nature. It's an affront to all the hard-working, dedicated law enforcement officers who work tirelessly each day to keep our citizens safe."

Sadler has been married since 2002 and has two children, the PCSO said.

The Polk and Okaloosa sheriff's offices were assisted in the investigation by members of the police departments in Fort Walton Beach and Crestview, as well as personnel from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Kathy Leigh Berkowitz can be reached at kberkowitz@theledger.com or at 863-802-7558. Follow her on Twitter @kberkowitzthel1.