- July 20, 2026
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, a five-month investigation has led to the arrest of a Port Orange man accused of harassing a Flagler County woman with thousands of phone calls and messages before allegedly filing a false child abuse report against her. Detectives said they traced the calls to Luke Herbert, 31, of Port Orange, despite his use of blocked and internet-based phone numbers.
The investigation began in February 2026 after the woman reported receiving thousands of harassing calls and messages from blocked and unknown numbers dating back to March 2025. According to FCSO, some days she received 50 or more calls, leaving her voicemail constantly full of recorded messages and random audio clips.
Detectives with the Major Case Unit and Cyber Crimes Unit determined the calls originated from a network of internet-based phone numbers linked to Herbert. Investigators also found Herbert's personal cellphone placed 213 calls to the woman during one week in early February while disguising his number so the calls appeared as coming from "Unknown," according to the sheriff's office.
The harassment allegedly extended beyond phone calls. Detectives said Herbert used another internet-based number in December 2025 to file a false report with the Florida Department of Children and Families accusing the woman and her husband of abusing their children. A child protective investigator responded, found no evidence supporting the allegation and closed the case as unfounded.
According to investigators, the only known connection between Herbert and the victim was that Herbert had previously been trespassed from the business where she worked. The sheriff's office also said Herbert had previously been arrested in Volusia County for making harassing phone calls in a similar case, in which he later pleaded no contest and adjudication was withheld.
"This guy thought he could hide behind blocked numbers and phone apps to make a woman's life miserable. He even weaponized DCF in an attempt to harass her," Sheriff Rick Staly said. "I commend our detectives, who spent five months pulling back the curtain on him, following the digital breadcrumbs, and conquering the technological hurdles that would overwhelm others. This proves once again why we established the Cyber Crimes Unit just a few years ago."
On July 17, detectives obtained a felony arrest warrant for Herbert. A short time later, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested him at his Port Orange home on the Flagler County warrant charging him with stalking, filing a false report of child abuse, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. He was transported to the Volusia County Jail and was later released after posting a $12,500 bond
