Jury selection begins for former paramedic facing accusations of sex crimes
Former Flagler County paramedic faces trial on sex crime charges
A former paramedic is set to stand trial this week on sex crime charges stemming from an alleged assault of a patient during an ambulance transport. Jury selection began Monday for 38-year-old James Melady, who was arrested last year after a woman reported he sexually assaulted her while she was being transported in October 2021.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A former paramedic is set to stand trial this week on sex crime charges stemming from an alleged assault of a patient during an ambulance transport.
Jury selection began Monday for 38-year-old James Melady, who was arrested last year after a woman reported he sexually assaulted her while she was being transported in October 2021.
Daytona Beach police said they discovered videos of the alleged crimes while investigating Melady in an unrelated case. He is charged with sexual battery and has pleaded not guilty.
Who is James Melady?
The backstory:
Melady is a former Flagler County Fire Rescue employee who was arrested in September 2024, for allegedly sexually assaulting an unconscious victim in an ambulance that he was supposed to be transporting to a local hospital.
Authorities said he was under investigation by the Daytona Beach Police Department for alleged sexual offenses, and retired from his paramedic duties with Flagler County Fire Rescue earlier that year.
During that investigation, detectives found two video clips on a cell phone that allegedly showed Melady assaulting the unconscious woman inside an ambulance, authorities said.
Daytona Beach Police then contacted the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
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Detectives met with the woman, "who was completely unaware of being attacked," the sheriff's office said.
In March, deputies revealed that during their investigation, detectives determined Melady had defrauded multiple victims by stealing their credit cards and identification while performing his duties as a paramedic.
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The lead detective found that Melady stole debit cards and personal information from victims who were experiencing medical emergencies and used them to make fraudulent purchases. Three victims were identified in total, including a 92-year-old woman who had fallen and needed transportation to a local hospital.
In that incident, investigators said the woman's purse was given to Melady to bring to the hospital. However, before returning it, he allegedly took her debit card without her knowledge and made two purchases, totaling over $700, at Sam's Club in Daytona Beach, authorities said.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Daytona Beach Police Department, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, and the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.