BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A former Clay County firefighter stationed in Keystone Heights was sentenced to two years in prison, 20 years’ probation, and ordered to register as a sex predator.
Sean Evert Carpenter, 37, was arrested in Putnam County in October 2023, charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious behavior on a victim younger than 12 years old.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the victim reported the abuse to a family member. Carpenter was not related to the victim but was considered a family acquaintance and lived close by.
The defendant was arrested at Keystone’s Station 11 while on duty.
Sheriff Gator DeLoach called Carpenter’s actions a disgrace to anyone who serves the public and sacrifices their lives every day to help people.
He added that the firefighter’s violation of the victim’s trust was especially heinous, considering children are taught to trust firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders.
“(Carpenter) took full advantage of his position as a trusted first responder to defile a child’s innocence,” DeLoach said in a social media post. “He is an embarrassment to all of our fellow brothers and sisters in the fire service, and we share in their disgust and disappointment for the shame he has brought down.”
