- February 2, 2026
During a hearing on Feb. 1, defendant James Melady was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
A Flagler County jury in December found the defendant guilty of Sexual Battery by person 18 years or older on person 18 years or older. In October 2021, Melady, a former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, raped an unconscious patient in the back of an ambulance.
“The defendant was a first responder who raped an unconscious patient when he was supposed to be providing her with proper medical care,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said after the sentencing. “His crime was disgusting, demented, and deserving of the maximum sentence permissible by law.”
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark successfully tried the case for the State. The Honorable Dawn Nichols presided over the case and pronounced sentence.
Melady also has other charges pending in two unrelated cases, one in Flagler County and one in Volusia County.
