A former Florida paramedic was sentenced to 10 years in prison after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted an unconscious woman in the back of an ambulance and recorded the attack.
James Melady, 39, will also face five years of probation once released and will be required to register as a sex offender, FOX35 Orlando reported.
Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza condemned Melady’s actions following the sentencing.
“The defendant was a first responder who raped an unconscious patient when he was supposed to be providing her with proper medical care,” Larizza said. “His crime was disgusting, demented and deserving of the maximum sentence permissible by law.”
Melady, who worked for Flagler County Fire Rescue, was accused of sexually battering an unconscious patient while transporting her to a hospital in October 2021. Investigators said detectives with the Daytona Beach Police Department later found two video clips on Melady’s cellphone allegedly showing him assaulting the woman inside the ambulance.
Melady claimed he was conducting a medical examination when he filmed himself touching the patient’s genitals, authorities said.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said detectives later interviewed the victim, who was “completely unaware of being attacked.”
A jury found Melady guilty of sexual battery by a person 18 years or older, though he was acquitted of a separate charge of video voyeurism.
Melady also faces two unrelated theft cases that are pending in Flagler and Volusia counties. Prosecutors allege he stole credit cards and personal identification from patients during medical calls and used the information to make fraudulent purchases.
