Inset: Darnell Hairston. Background: Florida deputies arrest Hairston after he allegedly kidnapped an 11-year-old boy (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office).
A 61-year-old Florida man convicted in the kidnapping of an 11-year-old boy from a campsite — where authorities said the child was bound with shoelaces and duct tape — has been sentenced to decades in prison.
Darnell Hairston received a 30-year prison sentence on Wednesday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which announced the outcome in a statement. Hairston pleaded no contest last month to kidnapping of a child under 13, aggravated child abuse, battery by strangulation, robbery with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. He was adjudicated guilty.
“This was one of the most successful ‘See Something, Say Something’ cases we’ve ever had — it led to the recovery of a missing child and the next three decades behind bars for the sex offender that was responsible. Of course, we’re still waiting for complete closure, as his co-conspirator’s case is still ongoing, but this is an important first step,” Sheriff Rick Staly stated.
Staly also praised the person who alerted authorities, along with investigators and prosecutors. “I commend the heroic citizen who saw something suspicious and reported it, everyone on our team who contributed during this investigation, and our partners at the State Attorney, Florida’s 7th Circuit who prosecuted this case to ensure this monster got the prison sentence he deserved,” he added.
The case began on Dec. 31, 2025, when the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Hairston, identified by the agency as a sex offender, was traveling with two juveniles, including one who had been reported missing three days earlier, according to a press release. Deputies stopped Hairston’s pickup truck, which had a camper topper attached, on U.S. Highway 1 at Palm Coast Parkway. After pulling over, Hairston rolled down his window and “extended both arms” outside, authorities said. Deputies noted that he appeared “anxious and was unable to remain still.”
One of the juveniles inside the vehicle seemed nervous, prompting deputies to have him get out so they could speak with him away from Hairston. While deputies were talking to the boy, Hairston tried to flee but slipped and fell in the roadway, officials said. A deputy jumped onto him, and during the struggle, Hairston allegedly attempted to grab her gun.
Additional deputies stepped in and took Hairston into custody. Authorities said the other juvenile then drove away in the pickup truck, but he was later arrested.
Detectives spoke with the 11-year-old boy, who told them a harrowing story.
“The 11-year-old victim was clearly traumatized and in fear,” deputies wrote.
He said he had been kidnapped after he was lured to a campsite. Hairston allegedly choked him “until he lost consciousness.” When the boy woke up, Hairston threatened him with a gun and knife before he tied him up with shoelaces and an extension cord and covered his mouth with duct tape, police said.
Hairston allegedly held the boy at the campsite for multiple days and forced him to lie on the floorboard of his truck while covered with a blanket when the suspect drove.
Investigators searched the suspect’s vehicle, home and campsite and found several items including duct tape, video surveillance equipment and weapons that were consistent with the victim’s statements.
In an interview after receiving his Miranda rights, Hairston allegedly admitted he knew the boy was missing but never called cops.
Per Florida’s sex offender registry, Hairston has previous convictions for lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under the age of 16 and false imprisonment.
Authorities also arrested a then-15-year-old boy as Hairston’s co-conspirator in the kidnapping. That teen, Junior Bishop, is being charged as an adult and has a court hearing on Sept. 23.
The post Man who lured 11-year-old boy to campsite where he kidnapped him, tied him up with shoelaces and taped his mouth shut learns his fate first appeared on Law & Crime.
