A Florida man who fled to Texas to avoid a child sex-offense probe is returning home on probation rather than serving time in jail. Giovanni Curtis, 22, was sentenced to ten years probation on June 24 after reaching a plea agreement.
Circuit Judge Howard Maltz withheld adjudication at Curtis’ sentencing, which followed his guilty plea to two charges of child abuse. Curtis was freed from Flagler County’s Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility following the completion of the legal arrangement.
The case began in Florida, but Curtis fled the state before local deputies could arrest him. The El Paso Police Department eventually tracked him down and arrested him in Texas in November 2025 on a Flagler County fugitive warrant.
Curtis averted a prison sentence, but his release comes with a long list of stringent conditions for the next decade. Under his special sex-offender probation, he is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors.
He is also legally barred from using alcohol or drugs, and his internet usage will be strictly watched and limited.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly stated that the police department was not pleased with the low penalty but added that the agreement ultimately honors the victims’ wishes and keeps them off the witness stand.
“While we do not believe the outcome of this case is fitting for his heinous acts, we support the victims’ wishes in this case and pray they may find comfort and healing now that the legal proceedings are behind them,” Sheriff Staly stated. “Not going to trial saves the victim from being traumatized again, which is critical for the health, well-being, and future of the victim.”
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