69-year-old John Jenkins was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday for the abuse of a disabled adult in his care. Jenkins had been a home nurse in Palm Coast for a man who was unable to walk or speak, and was found to have beaten his patient substantially.
The sentencing was given by Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols on Monday, following Jenkins’ conviction on four counts of abuse of a disabled adult. Earlier this year Jenkins pled guilty to all charges. He will spend those seven years in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections.
Jenkins’ initial arrest came in February in Volusia County. A Daytona Beach resident, he was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on four out-of-county warrants, records show. He later posted his $40,000 bond in Volusia, and was booked back into the Flagler County jail on Monday.
Reports of Jenkins’ abuse were first made to law enforcement on February 8th, when deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence for a reported battery. The person who called said they’d overheard Jenkins being verbally aggressive toward the victim, and later confronted him. Jenkins reportedly apologized, but the caller installed in-home surveillance cameras nonetheless.
On that camera feed, the caller said she saw Jenkins kicking the victim, as well as hitting him with an iPad. The victim’s condition renders them unable to speak out about the abuse, or to physically defend themselves. The woman who called the abuse in confronted Jenkins again and told him to leave the residence, the FCSO says.
Detectives reviewed the surveillance footage and notified the Florida Department of Children and Families. An investigation was opened, leading to the caller bringing forth 25 other instances of physical and verbal abuse from the backlog of video footage. In that footage, Jenkins reportedly sat on the victim, verbally abused them, punched them, and shoved their head into the ground.
The investigation on the FCSO’s side was spearheaded by Major Case Unit Detective First Class Kathryn Gordon. She obtained an arrest warrant for Jenkins on February 19th, leading to the Daytona Beach Police Department taking him into custody two days later at his residence. The investigation and later prosecution of Jenkins culminated in his seven-year sentence on Monday.
“This sentencing sends a clear message: abusing vulnerable or disabled adults will not be tolerated, especially if you are a caregiver,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “This offender’s actions were cruel, deliberate, and inexcusable, and seven years in prison reflects the seriousness of his crime. I commend our investigators and the prosecutors in the case, and I hope this sentencing brings closure to the victim and the victim’s family.”
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
