JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 40-year-old son of City Council president and former Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Hazouri has been charged in federal court with distributing child pornography, according to documents obtained by News 6 partner News4Jax.
Tommy Hazouri Jr., a second-grade teacher on the Mayport Coastal Sciences Elementary School website, was arrested at his parents' home in August on 25 counts of child pornography.
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A spokesperson for the Jacksonville FBI said that an agent arrested Hazouri Jr. at his home Sept. 4 and that he was heading to a federal facility. Notably, Hazouri Jr. is not facing additional charges, but the charges are now more serious since the case has shifted to federal.
According to documents, investigators found hundreds of images and dozens of videos in Hazouri Jr.'s computer and cellphone. Agents determined four videos had been sent to unnamed recipients.
There was also more information on the photos taken of a female student in Hazouri Jr.'s classroom at Mayport Elementary. Documents state that the photos focused on the girl’s “clothed bottom,” and showed a view up her shorts.
It’s unclear exactly when Hazouri Jr. made his first appearance in court on the charges. He’s been on house arrest. While bond was originally set for $625,000 -- $25,000 for each count -- Hazouri Jr.'s attorney, Hank Coxe, convinced a judge to lower the bond to a total of $25,000.
Court documents show that hundreds of photos of naked children with adults found on Hazouri Jr.'s personal laptop. Investigators said Hazouri didn’t appear in them and it is not believed any of them are from this area. Documents did note that there were photos of children that may have been taken at Mayport Elementary, but they were fully clothed and those showed nothing inappropriate.
Hazouri Jr. began working for Duval County Public Schools as a substitute in 2003. He was hired full time at Kernan Trail Elementary in 2006 and taught at three different grade levels over the next 10 years. He transferred to Englewood Elementary in 2018 and moved last year to Mayport Elementary.