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Flagler County man sentenced to 30 years for kidnapping, torturing boy
Prosecutors said Hairston and a 15-year-old accomplice lured the boy to a campsite, where he was hog-tied, beaten and threatened for days.
- On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols sentenced Darnell Hairston, 61, to 30 years in state prison after he was found guilty of kidnapping and torturing an 11-year-old boy for three days.
- The case began in December 2025 after a bystander called 911 reporting suspicious activity; deputies rescued the victim, who had been bound with shoelaces, duct-taped, and strangled during the ordeal.
- Prosecutors presented photos of injuries including strangulation marks, while the victim's mother testified about the trauma; Hairston received credit for 250 days already served despite prosecutors seeking life.
- Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly praised the case as "one of the most successful 'See Something, Say Something' cases we've ever had," crediting a vigilant citizen with saving the child.
- Junior Bishop, the 16-year-old alleged co-conspirator, remains in custody at Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility awaiting trial as an adult on armed kidnapping and aggravated battery charges.
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Man Sentenced for Kidnapping 11-Year-Old Boy After Luring Him to Campsite
Internewscast Internewscast Inset: Darnell Hairston. Background: Florida deputies arrest Hairston after he allegedly kidnapped… This Post: Man Sentenced for Kidnapping 11-Year-Old Boy After Luring Him to Campsite first appeared on Internewscast
Darnell Hairston, Kidnapper and Torturer of 11-Year-Old Boy, Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols today sentenced Darnell Hairston, the 61-year-old felon and sex offender charged with kidnapping and torturing a minor late last year, to two 30-year prison terms and a five-year prison term, all to be served concurrently. Assistant State Attorney melissa Clark had sought a life term for Hairston, who has a violent, lurid past.
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Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
80% Center
C 80%
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