CASE UPDATE No. 3: North Carolina Man Extradited by Sheriff Staly Convicted, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison
BUNNELL, Fla. — Kermit Booth — a Flagler County fugitive from justice who was arrested in North Carolina, released on bail, arrested again, and extradited back to Florida by Sheriff Rick Staly personally in September 2025 — has been convicted and sentenced.
On Jan. 7, Booth, 72, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual battery. Following Booth’s plea agreement, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols sentenced him to 10 years in a Florida Department of Corrections prison and 20 years of sexual offender probation. He will also be required to register as a sexual predator.
Kermit Booth (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
“Despite the hurdles that North Carolina made us jump through, we brought this pervert back to Florida so he could face justice for his crimes and we could get justice for the victim he abused,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Thanks to the hard work of our great detectives and the steadfast, resolute determination of the victim, we can call him what he is: a convicted sex offender. We hope our victim can continue her recovery knowing this pervert that took her innocence away will spend the next decade, frankly very likely the rest of his life, behind bars where he can’t be a danger to any more children.”
Booth is currently being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility awaiting transfer to the Florida DOC custody.
Original Release Date: September 5, 2025
Original Release #: 2025 – 163
CASE UPDATE No. 2: Sheriff Rick Staly Brings Fugitive Kermit Booth Back to Florida
BUNNELL, Fla. — Kermit Booth — a Flagler County fugitive from justice who was arrested in North Carolina, released on bail, then arrested again — is finally back in Florida to be held accountable for his crimes.
On Friday, September 5, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Franklin, North Carolina, to take custody of Booth after he was rearrested on Wednesday by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office on a governor’s warrant and then held at the Macon County Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Florida.
Left: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, right, signs documents taking Kermit Booth into custody in Franklin, N.C., on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
Right: Kermit Booth, left, is escorted by Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, right, after arriving in Palm Coast, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
Booth’s return to Florida is the culmination of a six-week process after he was first arrested in North Carolina on August 1 on a Flagler County warrant for two counts of sexual battery on a person less than 12 years of age.
“It took a few weeks, but we were finally able to get this pervert on a plane and bring him back to Flagler County. After the governor’s warrant was issued and he was rearrested and held this time, and after North Carolina courts said we could extradite him, we flew up and brought him back,” said Sheriff Staly. “I hope he enjoyed his flight back to Florida because it’ll probably be the last flight he takes. Hopefully, he’ll be spending the rest of his life in prison.”
Upon returning to Flagler County Friday evening, Sheriff Staly personally escorted Booth to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and served the warrant. Booth is being held on a $500,000 bond on two capital crime charges with a penalty of life in prison.
Left: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, right, reads the arrest warrant for Kermit Booth at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility in Bunnell, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
Right: A detention deputy books Kermit Booth at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility in Bunnell, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
“I would like to thank Governor DeSantis and North Carolina Governor Stein for their assistance in getting the governor’s warrant, as well as Macon County Sheriff Holbrooks and his team for quickly rearresting Booth so we could bring him back to Florida. I especially want to thank the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson for providing a forestry aircraft for Booth’s quick extradition back to Flagler County,” Sheriff Staly added. “While our efforts today cannot erase the deep emotional scars that this pervert caused, it is my hope that his victim may now begin the healing process knowing that justice is finally coming.”
Original Release Date: August 22, 2025
Original Release #: 2025 – 152
CASE UPDATE: Florida Governor Issues Extradition Request for North Carolina to Turn Florida Fugitive Over to FCSO Custody
BUNNELL, Fla. — On August 20, 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an extradition request to the Governor of North Carolina for Florida fugitive Kermit Booth, 72, of Franklin, North Carolina. Booth had been arrested on August 1, 2025, in Macon County, North Carolina, as a fugitive from justice on a Flagler County warrant for two counts of sexual battery on a person less than 12 years of age with a Florida bond of $500,000. This is a capital crime with a penalty of life in prison in Florida. A Macon County, N.C., magistrate set Booth’s bond at $35,000, and he posted bond and was released by Macon County, N.C., authorities.
In Governor Ron DeSantis’ request, he appointed Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly to receive, convey, and transport Booth from North Carolina to Florida to be held accountable for his crimes.
“North Carolina said they would not hold this pervert for us unless we got a governor’s warrant, so we got one,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I applaud Governor Ron DeSantis for quickly issuing this extradition request, which asks North Carolina authorities to turn him over to my custody. No one is above the law, and we will not sit back and watch anyone use another state as a safe haven to hide from justice in Florida. I will always stand with our victims and fight for justice. Justice might be delayed, but with the cooperation of North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, Booth will soon be sitting in the Green Roof Inn [aka county jail].”
Original Release Date: August 7, 2025
Original Release #: 2025 – 143
North Carolina Man Arrested on Flagler County Warrant for Sexual Battery of Child
BUNNELL, Fla. — On August 1, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina arrested Kermit Booth, 72, of Franklin, North Carolina, on a Flagler County warrant for two counts of sexual battery of a victim under 12.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigation into Booth, who has a criminal history of aggravated stalking, began after the victim’s mother contacted law enforcement on February 14, 2015. According to the victim’s mother, Booth solicited sexual intercourse from the victim multiple times from 2006 to 2009, during which the victim was approximately 6-to-9 years old and Booth was approximately 53-to-56 years old, but the victim refused. However, according to the victim, Booth forced the victim to perform oral sex on at least one occasion while at Booth’s Palm Coast residence.
Due to significant investigative challenges, the case saw little movement for several years. In March 2023, the victim reengaged with FCSO’s Major Case Unit, providing additional evidence against Booth. With the new information and using investigative means, detectives were able to relaunch the investigation and corroborate the mother’s and the victim’s statements. In addition, in February 2025, the FCSO Digital Forensics Unit forensically identified new evidence against Booth.
On July 29, after a thorough investigation, the FCSO obtained a warrant for Booth’s arrest for sexual battery of a victim under 12. On the warrant, the bond was set at $500,000 by a Flagler County judge. The FCSO Fugitive Unit, working with the North Carolina Macon County Sheriff’s Office, located and arrested Booth on August 1 in Franklin, North Carolina, on his Flagler County warrant. He was transported to the Macon County Detention Center and initially held under a $500,000 bond. A North Carolina judge later lowered the bond to $35,000, and Booth posted bond with an extradition hearing scheduled for September 8.
Kermit Booth (Macon County Detention Center mugshot)
“This case is a disturbing reminder of how predators can exploit situations to harm children,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “While we commend the bravery of the victim and the work of our Major Case Unit in obtaining a warrant and arrest, it’s deeply troubling that a North Carolina judge chose to lower the bond set by a Florida judge. This victim waited 10 years for him to be held accountable and now this North Carolina judge has victimized our victim again by allowing him to be released before his extradition hearing on a very low bond. This is a travesty of justice and in all my years in law enforcement, I have never heard of a fugitive from justice case being handled like this by an out-of-state judge. I promise the victim we will continue to fight for justice.” ###