- December 11, 2025
After a three-day trial, a Flagler County jury found defendant James Melady guilty of sexual battery.
In October 2021, Melady, a former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, was charged the rape of an unconscious patient in the back of an ambulance.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark successfully tried the case for the state. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols presided over the case and will pronounce sentence at a later date. The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.
“The defendant not only abused our victim – he abused the position he held as a first responder,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said. “His sentence should reflect the damage he did to our victim and to the profession he shamed.”
Melady also has other charges pending in two unrelated cases, one in Flagler County and one in Volusia County.
