A convicted sexual predator in Flagler County did not make it through his first night of freedom before landing back behind bars, according to deputies.
Authorities say 45-year-old Gabriel Pardo, a registered sexual predator, was taken into custody less than 12 hours after his release from state prison. He had been fitted with a GPS ankle monitor and was tracked walking toward a Palm Coast home where he had previously victimized children.
Pardo was dropped off at a bus stop on State Road 100 in Flagler Beach at about 10:17 p.m. on June 18 and was ordered to report to the Florida Department of Corrections probation and parole office in Bunnell at 8 a.m. the next morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. When he failed to show up, probation officers alerted major case detectives. GPS data revealed he had walked more than six miles overnight toward the house where the earlier offenses occurred.
“This pervert, convicted rapist, pedophile and predator couldn't even make it one night out of prison before he attempted to contact the victims he assaulted,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the agency’s news release.
Monitored Movements Lead Detectives To Old Kings Road
Major Case detectives working with the sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center used the GPS trail to zero in on Pardo and found him walking along Old Kings Road, where deputies arrested him on a violation of probation charge, as reported by News4JAX.
Investigators said there is no indication he entered the residence or made contact with anyone there. They later confirmed the victims no longer live at that address. Pardo was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and is being held without bond, according to the station.
Conviction History And Sentence
Pardo is listed as a registered sexual predator based on a 2018 case in which authorities say he repeatedly sexually abused two children in his care and molested a third during a sleepover. In 2019 he pleaded no contest and was found guilty of two counts of sexual battery by a custodian and one count of sexual battery. He was sentenced to eight years in state prison followed by 15 years of sex‑offender probation, the sheriff’s office said. Thursday marked the first night of that probation term, officials noted.
Investigation And Next Steps
Detectives say Pardo’s latest arrest remains an active probation violation investigation as they review his movements and determine whether any new charges are warranted, News4JAX reported.
Officials are urging anyone with additional information to contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office while detectives continue to coordinate with state probation officers.
Authorities say the rapid arrest highlights how GPS monitoring and close teamwork between probation and law enforcement can immediately clamp down on potential risks after an offender’s release. They plan to release more information as the investigation moves forward.
