PALM COAST, FL — Two men captured last year by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Major Case Unit have been officially convicted and sentenced, marking a rapid wave of successful sex offense prosecutions in the local circuit court.
Jordan Pittmon, 27, was handed a seven-year state prison sentence, while Josiah Morales, 19, was placed on heavily restricted, long-term probation. Both orders were finalized on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, by Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols.
Instagram Predator Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison
Jordan Pittmon, of Daytona Beach, was arrested in February 2025 following an exhaustive, eight-month investigation spearheaded by FCSO Master Detective Kathryn Gordon.
Investigators established that in November 2023, Pittmon began grooming a 14-year-old girl through Instagram. During the grooming phase, an adult family member of the victim discovered the illicit digital correspondence and confronted Pittmon directly, explicitly warning him that the girl was only 14 years old. Pittmon ignored the family’s warnings and maintained clandestine communication with the minor.
When the victim later ran away from home, Pittmon picked her up, transported her to his residence, and sexually assaulted her multiple times before abandoning her at a local public park the following day.
In court, Pittmon entered a plea of no contest to Lewd or Lascivious Battery and Traveling to Meet a Minor. Judge Nichols adjudicated him guilty and sentenced him to 85.5 months (7 years, 1.5 months) in state prison. Upon his release, Pittmon must register as a sex offender for life and serve an additional five years of specialized sex offender probation. He is currently held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility awaiting transfer to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Teen Avoids Prison via Plea Deal, Faces Intense Supervision
In a separate major case file, 19-year-old Josiah Morales of Palm Coast was sentenced after an August 2025 arrest. Detectives proved that Morales had engaged in repeated sexual encounters with a minor.
Morales reached a negotiated plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of Child Abuse (down from his initial charge of lewd or lascivious battery).
Judge Nichols sentenced Morales to five years of strict probation with a zero-tolerance clause barring any opportunity for early termination. Under the conditions of his sentence, Morales faces severe sex offender restrictions, including:
- Mandatory completion of clinical sex offender treatment at his own financial expense.
- An absolute ban on unsupervised contact with any minors.
- An absolute prohibition on internet use without prior written authorization from his probation officer.
Sheriff Applauds String of Court Victories
The twin judgements cap off a highly productive week for local cyber and major case detectives, who have secured a succession of convictions putting multiple offenders in local cells, state penitentiaries, or under strict GPS and internet tracking frameworks.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly emphasized that while investigation teams always push for maximum prison exposure, the definitive tracking measures secured by prosecutors fulfill the agency’s primary mission:
“While I personally believe all predators who take advantage of kids should be sentenced to prison, every case is different and the prosecutor and judges take that into consideration when making prosecution and sentencing decisions. Our job is to put together a solid investigation and let the justice system handle the rest. Within the last few days, we have had numerous successful convictions putting perverts on probation, in jail, or state prison, and ensuring they are designated as sex offenders… My message to predators is this – don’t prey on our children unless you want to be arrested and suffer the consequences that will follow you for life, just as the crimes you committed will follow the victims forever.”