FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. ā A former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic convicted of raping an unconscious patient in the back of an ambulance has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A Flagler County jury found James Tyler Melady, 38, guilty in December after a three-day trial, News4JAX reported. He was convicted of sexual battery by a person 18 years or older on a person 18 years or older.
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Prosecutors said the assault happened in October 2021 while Melady was on duty as a paramedic transporting the victim. In February, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of probation, after facing a maximum penalty of 15 years.
Melady must register as a sex offender. He also faces additional charges in separate cases in Flagler and Volusia counties, prosecutors said.
What is your position on cameras in ambulances? Why are you for them or against them?
EMS1 readers respond
āI have been advocating for body cameras and in the trucks for years. Not only so personnel can be held accountable, but the patients as well. People could actually see how poorly some patients behave.ā
