BUNNELL, Fla. — A Flagler County jury found a man guilty Thursday of sexual battery on an unconscious patient in the back of an ambulance in October 2021.
James Melady, 38, a former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic, committed the crime while on duty. He faces up to 15 years in prison for the offense.
“The defendant not only abused our victim – he abused the position he held as a first responder,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. “His sentence should reflect the damage he did to our victim and to the profession he shamed.”
During the investigation, the victim was identified as a former resident of Flagler Beach. On Oct. 17, 2021, the victim was being transported from her home to a hospital in Daytona Beach when the sexual assault occurred.
Melady will be sentenced at a later date. He also faces other charges in two unrelated cases, one in Flagler County and another in Volusia County.
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