BUNNELL, Fla — In a significant legal development, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported on Thursday that a man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the sexual battery of a minor.

The individual in question, 45-year-old Gregory Smith, faced a series of severe charges. He was convicted on two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation involving a victim aged 12 to 16, five counts of sexual battery on a minor aged 12 to 18 by a family member, and lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under the age of 12.

The investigation began when a victim and their mother approached authorities on June 19, 2025. They reported that after confronting Smith, he confessed to the allegations of sexual abuse. The family revealed that the abuse had been occurring “several times a week over two to three years.”

Once law enforcement secured a warrant for his arrest, Smith corroborated these allegations during interviews with detectives.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly commented on the case, stating, “Smith realized that the men and women of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office built an ironclad case and would give no mercy to a predator who took the innocence away and raped a child for years. He faced life behind bars had he been convicted by a jury, so this pervert took the only option he had. Smith isn’t just a pervert; he is a monster who knew the evil of his actions before he committed them.”