Former Florida Paramedic Sentenced for Assaulting Unconscious Patient

A former paramedic from Florida has been sentenced to a decade in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in the back of an ambulance. This event was also recorded, according to the prosecutors.

The individual in question, James Melady, aged 39, will face additional legal consequences upon release, which include five years of probation and mandatory registration as a sex offender, as reported by FOX35 Orlando.

After the sentencing, Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza expressed strong disapproval of Melady’s actions. According to Larizza, “The defendant was a first responder who raped an unconscious patient when he was supposed to be providing her with proper medical care. His crime was disgusting, demented and deserving of the maximum sentence permissible by law.”

“His crime was disgusting, demented and deserving of the maximum sentence permissible by law,” said Attorney R.J. Larizza.

James Melady, who served with Flagler County Fire Rescue, faced accusations of sexually abusing a patient who was unconscious while she was being transported to a hospital in October 2021. Subsequent investigations revealed two video recordings on Melady’s phone that seemed to capture him assaulting the woman inside the ambulance.

He defended his actions by claiming he was performing a medical examination while filming himself touching the woman’s genitals. The victim, interviewed later by detectives from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, was reportedly “completely unaware of being attacked.”

A jury found Melady guilty of sexual battery by an adult, although he was acquitted on a separate charge concerning video voyeurism.

Additionally, Melady is involved in two pending theft cases in Flagler and Volusia counties. Prosecutors accuse him of stealing credit cards and personal identification from patients during medical responses and allegedly using that information for fraudulent purchases.