A Florida paramedic has been arrested and charged with sexual battery of an unconscious woman in his ambulance in 2021.
James Melady resigned from Flagler County Fire Rescue in May after he failed a drug test, Flagler Live reported. He had been with the department since June 2018.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly told WJXT that Daytona Beach police were investigating Melady for an unrelated criminal sexual conduct case when they found two videos showing the Flagler County rape, which took place during a service call on October 17, 2021, on his cell phone.
“If he had not recorded that, this victim and the sheriff’s office would not have known this occurred,” Staly said.
The victim had been unaware of the rape but identified herself from the video, Flagler Live reported.
According to the arrest report, Melady was seen in the video “exposing and digitally penetrating the vagina of an obviously unconscious/incapacitated female victim within fingers/hand.” The clips “clearly depicted” his face and his Flagler County uniform.
Maladay was arrested on Thursday in Daytona Beach and booked into the Flagler County Jail the next day. He has been charged on one count of sexual battery of an unconscious person and one count of video voyeurism, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
“This is an unfathomable attack and a disgusting attack on a helpless individual that called for medical emergency services,” Staly told WJXT. “Actually, she didn’t even call. It was another individual who called because she was unconscious. And to take advantage of this, tarnish the badge that they wear, tarnish the agency that they work for and the community is just disgusting.”
Staly added that Melady faces up to 30 years in prison “and I hope he gets every bit of that.” The sheriff also said that investigators believe it was not an isolated incident.
Melady is being held without bond.
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[Featured image: James Melady/Volusia County Corrections]
