Brevard County– Space Coast Daily has become known for hosting events on a property they lease from The Viera Company next to Viera High School for a very small amount of money respective to the value of the prime real estate. Space Coast Daily has been found to employ or partner with a notorious registered sex offender, Charles Maslin, who was actively involved in managing festival booths targeted towards children. This revelation comes despite Maslin’s criminal background, which includes convictions related to child sexual abuse of a 9 year old boy that went on for years.

According to the county, Space Coast Daily received a $25,000 grant from the county through money from the Tourist Development Council to support their fair. Malone served on the council until he finally termed out last year. However, Space Coast Daily’s employment practices have raised serious concerns, prompting the Brevard County Commission to change their grant allocation policies and regulatory oversight to ensure that such a breach of trust does not occur again.

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After our Facebook live video interviewing Mr. Manslin working at one of Space Coast Daily’s recent “festivals,” the county’s response has been swift and significant. Faced with the fact that Space Coast Daily most likely knowingly employed sex offenders, the local government has moved to amend both policies and ordinances. These changes are aimed at preventing any organization like Space Coast Daily that partners with registered sex offenders from receiving taxpayer dollars in the future. This policy shift underscores a commitment to safeguarding community members, especially vulnerable populations, from potential harm.

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Moreover, The Viera Company, which leases the property to Space Coast Daily, has come under scrutiny for its lack of action against its tenant. Despite the serious nature of the allegations and the potential risk to public safety, it appears The Viera Company has refrained from taking punitive steps against Space Coast Daily. This inaction raises questions about the responsibilities and ethical obligations of property owners when their tenants endanger public safety.

We received several emails from citizens who reached out to The Viera Company directly raising their concerns that registered child predators were being employed on the property that they own, and next to areas those individuals are prohibited from being within 1,000 feet of. Space Coast Daily Park is surrounded on all sides by either schools, daycares, and parks, besides being a park itself. Giles Malone was asked directly if he partners with or employs the child predator Maslin, and refused to answer the question, understandably so.

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In the live interview we conducted with Maslin at Space Coast Daily’s festival, he names Giles Malone directly and speaks in detail about their longstanding relationship and partnership that has spanned on for years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. We reached out to Giles several times for comment and he did not respond.

Maslin appeared on our radar when we received some troubling messages from other local vendors that were reportedly being mistreated by Giles Malone, and preferential treatment given to Maslin and his vending services targeted towards children. Maslin is not local, but from out of state, yet participates in nearly every event with Giles Malone and Space Coast Daily, often given the best vendor spots at the events. Vendors reported strange behavior of Maslin who they say kept bringing them “free food” while he played with their children, even offering to watch them from time to time.

A quick google search of either Maslin or his vending businesses, The Laughing Crab and The Snow Cone Experience, reveals his criminal history in the very first search results. Within those results are petitions from other states demanding his removal from public events serving their children. In our interview, he brags about the number of events he does every year in the state of Florida.

After we conducted our interview, we immediately contacted law enforcement after confirming who he was. BCSO is attempting to arrest him on his failing to register as a transient resident. Any registered offender that is here longer than 3 days must register with the County. This individual failed to do so, as he admitted in the video to us, he hadbeen here for 3 weeks. However, when BCSO questioned his employees at Space Coast Daily Strawberry Festival, his employees stated they were only there for a couple of days. Maslin had already fled the scene. It’s not known if Giles, who was reportedly watching the live video, tipped him off that we stated we were contacting law enforcement at the end of our video.

The community’s reaction has been one of dismay and a call for greater transparency and accountability. Residents and concerned citizens argue that strict measures are necessary to ensure that event organizers not only comply with legal requirements but also uphold a standard of moral responsibility. The call for transparency extends to requiring that all registered sex offenders employed at events be clearly identified to the public, ensuring that parents and guardians can make informed decisions about their children’s participation in local festivities.

As Brevard County moves forward, the lessons drawn from this situation are clear. Stronger oversight, transparent policies, and unwavering enforcement of regulations are essential to rebuild and maintain public trust. Especially when organizations like Space Coast Daily who target children with their events are allowing these types of predators to physically interact with the most vulnerable in our community. The community looks to its leaders to uphold these standards rigorously, ensuring that all events held in the county are safe spaces for all attendees, free from those who might do them harm.

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