BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard Public Schools bus driver was arrested Thursday night and charged with distributing obscene material to a teenage student, according to police.
Jimmy Tate, 54, of Palm Bay gave a ninth grade girl a book describing graphic sexual acts between an adult man and a 3-year-old child on June 2, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
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The book had Tate’s name listed as the author, as well as a picture of him, sheriff’s officials said. The book was self-published on Amazon, News 6 partner Florida Today reports.
Following the incident, the girl’s mother met with Viera High School administration June 4 to share her concern about Tate and the book, sheriff’s officials said. Assistant Principal Heather Smith reviewed the book, then called the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident.
Both Smith and the parent met with a sheriff’s office corporal to discuss the incident and show him the book. The corporal reviewed the book and took a statement from the student’s mother, during which she described her daughter being asked by Tate to read the book. The student read part of it but the mother said she felt very uncomfortable and unsafe. When she got on the bus the following day, Tate asked her if she enjoyed the book, and when she responded that it was very detailed, he laughed, according to the arrest report.
Brevard County sheriff’s officials reviewed video footage from the bus Tate drove and confirmed the mother’s report, with the additional detail that the student tried to give the book back and Tate insisted she keep it.
Michelle Roy, the transportation supervisor for Brevard Public Schools, reviewed footage from the bus back to May 22 and did not see Tate interacting with any other students, sheriff’s officials said. One camera — the front camera — was not working during the time of the reported incident with the student.
Tate was arrested at his home Thursday evening at about 9:30 p.m. He was booked into Brevard County Jail with a bond of $5,000. The charge distributing obscene material to a minor is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
After an initial court appearance Friday afternoon, Tate was released from the Brevard County Jail at about noon. His next court date has not been set yet.
Brevard Public Schools spokesperson Russell Bruhn confirmed Tate will be on unpaid leave as the district conducts an internal investigation.
Tate has been a bus driver for the Brevard school district since 2019 and has never had any disciplinary measures taken against him prior to this, Bruhn said.