Clay County firefighter arrested, accused of child sex crimes

Detectives arrested Sean Evert Carpenter, 36, of Palatka and accused him of four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old. (Travis Gibson, Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said it has arrested a Clay County firefighter on child sex crime charges.

Sean Carpenter, 36, was arrested Friday while at work in Keystone Heights.

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The Sheriff’s Office said Carpenter lives in Palatka.

He’s facing four charges of lewd and lascivious molestation involving a child under age 12.

The Sheriff’s Office said the child is an acquaintance of Carpenter with no family connection.

Carpenter is being held in the Putnam County jail on no bond.

“This piece of trash is a disgrace to not only his employers but also to anyone in public service who proudly sacrifices their lives to help others,” Sheriff H.D “Gator’ Deloach said. “He took full advantage of his position as a trusted first responder to defile a child’s innocence. 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 had brought down. We will hand this case to the state attorney’s office and we will work diligently to ensure he never sees freedom again.”


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