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Ex-Flagler Paramedic Testifies as Sex-Assault Trial Moves to Closings

Jurors viewed recording evidence, with the defendant calling his prior statement Ambien-tainted.

Overview

  • James Melady is on trial in Flagler County on charges including sexual battery of a helpless person and video voyeurism tied to an October 2021 ambulance transport.
  • Prosecutors presented video they say shows Melady setting up a camera and touching an unconscious patient, plus pre-arrest audio they assert includes an admission.
  • Melady testified that he performed a legitimate medical exam and recorded it for documentation because he lacked a second paramedic in the ambulance.
  • An emergency physician told jurors the patient arrived unresponsive with a 0.537 blood alcohol level and testified there was no medical reason to touch her genitals.
  • Investigators also charged Melady with defrauding patients by stealing payment cards and IDs, identifying three victims including a 92-year-old and purchases totaling over $700 at a Sam’s Club, as the agency later added ambulance cameras and two-person rear staffing for vulnerable transports.