‘Taken aback': Former colleagues of Hillsborough assistant state attorney react to child porn charges
William Andrew Jones, 32, was arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges. The assistant state attorney for Hillsborough County is accused of viewing and transmitting child pornography.
Hillsborough assistant state attorney arrested on child porn charges: HCSO
Detectives said those files were of girls between 6 and 10 years old engaging in sexual acts.
Defense attorney Shanna Bailey said she spent three years working with Jones as assistant state attorneys.
She was shocked to hear the charges he's now facing.
'Mr. Jones was always a trusted friend and colleague, well-liked and well-respected,' she said. 'I don't think there was anything untoward about his behavior or his prosecutorial conduct that would ever cause anybody to believe anything like this could ever happen.'
'These are just allegations at this point, but I think everybody that worked with him was taken aback,' she continued.
Criminal defense attorney Bryant Camareno echoed that sentiment, saying, while he would defend his clients, Jones would prosecute those facing criminal charges.
'We've been colleagues [and] friendly adversaries,' Camareno said. 'It's been a great relationship and I'm shocked.'
In a statement to 8 On Your Side, State Attorney Suzy Lopez condemned the alleged crimes and said Jones was fired from his position.
I am deeply disturbed and sickened by Andrew Jones' actions, and he was terminated from his position as an Assistant State Attorney immediately following his arrest. As prosecutors, our duty is to protect the public, especially our children. There is no place in this office or community for this behavior. I want to thank law enforcement for their important work in identifying and arresting child predators. No one is above the law, and this office will never tolerate anyone who violates the trust of the people we serve.'
State Attorney Suzy Lopez, 13th Judicial Circuit
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
5 Expert Tips for Making Reading Time the Best Part of Your Child's Day
After a summer of obligatory reading lists and extra screen time, getting your kids to crack open a book might seem impossible. Here's what experts say. After a summer filled with outdoor play, screen time, and relaxed routines, getting kids back into the habit of reading can be a challenge. For many families, the transition from summer break to the school year brings a renewed focus on academics, but rekindling a child's love for reading goes beyond homework assignments. This is especially important given that kids' reading skills are at historic lows and even some elite college students can't read full books. With summer reading wrapping up and back-to-school in the fall, it feels like a good moment for this topic. Whether your child lost interest in books over the summer or just needs a gentle nudge, Parents spoke to five experts for practical tips and creative ideas to help you raise a reader, not out of obligation, but out of genuine excitement and enjoyment. Finding Their Niche Charlie N. Holmberg, WSJ bestselling author, thinks that a big part of getting kids interested in reading is to emulate a love of reading. Not only to be seen reading, but to share what you're reading. 'I'll often share interesting things in my reading with my husband, so why not share them with my kids, too? We like to share highlights of our day at the dinner table, and I think the twists and turns of current stories make for a great highlight.' For Holmberg, raising a kid who loves reading also means understanding exactly what your kids like to read. 'My son has recently gotten into the typical middle-grade novels and will crack them open before bed, but my daughter doesn't connect with those. She's not a big lover of books—reading and writing are her least favorite subjects in school. But through some trial and error, I've learned she loves nonfiction books, especially ones with photos, graphics, and other visuals. Finding titles at the store or the library with subject matter she's presently showing interest in makes a big difference, too. Last year it was rocks and minerals, this year it's astrology and feathers.' Lastly, Holmberg thinks it's great for kids to have their own library cards and have opportunities to pick out their own books, as well as take responsibility for those books. That sense of ownership and independence places value not only on the books themselves, but on the identity of being a reader. Don't Skip Read Alouds Marisa Ware, MSEd, literacy specialist and consultant to Charge Mommy Books, understands that weaving reading into daily life can feel challenging, especially for busy parents, but there are many small, meaningful ways to do it. 'Reading aloud at bedtime, sharing articles on topics their kids are curious about, listening to audiobooks together, or keeping a book or magazine in the car.' She suggests during the summer to avoid letting reading become a chore. Research indicates that allowing students to choose their own reading materials significantly benefits their reading motivation, comprehension, and overall academic performance, so let kids choose materials they enjoy – graphic novels, joke books, how-to guides, or sports articles all 'count' as reading and help build positive associations. 'Some parents may find it helpful to establish a daily reading routine,' she notes. 'Set aside a specific time each day during which the whole family reads and then discusses what they read. This may be independent reading, or may be a few minutes in which your child reads aloud to you.' Meet Them Where They Are Maya Payne Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child, acknowledges that too often parents mistake a love of stories for a love of reading. 'But the reality is: enjoying being read to and feeling excited to read on your own are two very different things, and kids need both. When children struggle to sound out words or make meaning from them, reading feels hard, not fun. That's when screens win, with games and apps that deliver immediate gratification, dopamine hits, and nonstop stimulation.' She says that reading to kids builds vocabulary and background knowledge that support comprehension (as well as story love), but for kids to love reading on their own, they need the skills to do it successfully. So if you have school-aged kids, summer is the time to shore up their independent reading skills. 'Even in the midst of packed schedules and long workdays, parents can weave in quick reading moments—asking kids to read aloud during errands, over breakfast, or before bed,' Smart advises. 'These short check-ins offer a valuable window into how they're progressing. Notice where they're smooth and where they stumble.' If you're unsure how their reading compares with the expectations for their age or stage, Smart says that summer is a great time to check out your state's reading standards or get a screening from a local learning center. 'Use the summer break to get a sense of what your child needs to start the next school year strong,' she advises. Smart wants to remind parents that literacy learning happens everywhere. So every time parents talk, play, or explore with their children, they're building the vocabulary and knowledge that will power reading comprehension later on. 'For my family, nearby Lake Michigan offers sand dunes carved by ancient glaciers and stories of Indigenous communities like the Ojibwe, Menominee, and Potawatomi. We can explore the lake's ecosystem, spot native fish (and invasive ones, too), investigate shipwrecks and lighthouse legends—or just enjoy beaches and parks while learning how to protect this freshwater treasure,' she says. She further says to remember that reading doesn't start—or stop—with books. 'I was reminded of this when my daughter attended a soccer camp in Colorado. Coming from the Midwest to discover this new terrain together, our conversations suddenly included words like altitude, elevation, and dehydration. And her reading included scouring the camp's packing list, digesting weather reports, and poring over oxygen canister instructions. It wasn't storytime, but it was reading—driven by real needs, genuine curiosity, and the excitement of new experiences,' she recalls. Try a Little Tech Kristy Woodson Harvey, NYT bestselling author, believes that a big part of getting kids interested in reading is meeting them where they are. For kids who love screens, ebooks can be a more appealing alternative, and for kids who don't think they love reading at all, audiobooks can bridge the gap and make them fall in love with story as well. Watching movie adaptations after a book can be fun as well for kids who prefer TV to books. 'As a writer, I obviously adore reading and find it to be one of the most enjoyable and foundational hobbies we can pass along to our children. But, as with so many things in life, we can't make our children love to read,' she notes. 'I feel like modeling reading is one of the most important things we can do as parents. It's also hard to scold our children for preferring screens when we're constantly pulling out our phones, so I think practicing what we preach and modeling a love of reading is paramount.' Harvey has a web show and podcast with three other New York Times Bestselling authors called Friends & Fiction, where they have interviewed hundreds and hundreds of writers. Almost across the board, they say that their parents didn't censor their reading much or focus on what was educational over entertaining. 'I love this approach. Whatever the genre, the more words the better,' she advises. Lean Into Listening Erin Beers, a middle school language arts teacher, acknowledges that life is fast-paced, and kids (and families) are seemingly always on the go, especially during the summer. One way that she has tackled five books this summer is by using Audible. 'My students love read-alouds – it is one of their favorite times within my class where they get to listen to a book that I read that they voted on as a whole class,' she says. 'I often think that people only view reading when a book is in hand,' Beers continues. 'However, with access to audiobooks using apps like Audible, books are more accessible than ever. Listening to texts is just as valuable because kids are still using metacognition as they are listening. Parents can use technology to their advantage by encouraging audiobooks as an on-the-go way to navigate summer reading or even to engage a family in a common book during a long car ride." Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Roy Cooper, former NC governor, launches US Senate campaign
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has officially launched his campaign for U.S. Senate, according to a July 28 news release from his campaign. The announcement confirms what's been a highly anticipated next step for the state's former Democratic governor and attorney general. Cooper was first elected governor in 2016 and served two terms. 'I want to serve as your next United States Senator because, even now, I still believe our best days are ahead of us,' Cooper said in the release. Earlier this month, Axios reported that Cooper would be entering the race for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced in June that he would not seek a third term in office. Tillis' announcement came the day after he voted against advancing President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Republicans' massive domestic policy legislation. Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee, is also expected to enter the Senate race, according to reporting from Politico. The outlet reported July 24 that Whatley has the backing of Trump, whose daughter-in-law Lara Trump had also been rumored to be considering a bid. In a July 24 social media post, Lara Trump confirmed she would not be seeking the Senate seat. The race between Cooper and Whatley, who previously served as chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, could prove to be 'as close to a toss-up as exists in American politics,' Chris Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University, told the Citizen Times on July 24. Cooper, who is not related to the former governor, said both are 'heavyweight candidates with access to deep pockets and networks.' More: Former Gov. Cooper and RNC Chair Whatley expected to launch bids for Tillis' Senate seat More: NC Gov. Roy Cooper, in final days in office, 'running hard through the tape' Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: US Senate: Roy Cooper, former NC governor, officially begins campaign
Forbes
3 minutes ago
- Forbes
Gee's Bend Quilts From Alabama Now On Display In Upstate New York
The Spencertown Academy and Austerlitz Historical Society Church, in Columbia County, N.Y., are presenting an exhibition of the famous Gee's Bend quilts. Gee's Bend quit exhibition, on display through August 3 at Spencertown Academy Arts Center Peter Blandori Gee;s End QyuiOn display through August 3, this exhibit features over 30 quilts created by six quiltmakers; second and third generation descendants of the celebrated Alabama women whose works exploded on the art scene in 2003. It is the first time these quilts have traveled outside of their community in recent years for such a major exhibition. According to the academy, 'the small community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, has been creating their extraordinary quilts since the 1800's. . .These quilts constitute a crucial chapter in American art. Gee's Bend quilts are today in the permanent collection of over 30 leading art museums around the world. 'When enslaved women from the rural, isolated community of Boykin, Alabama—better known as Gee's Bend—began quilting in the 19th century, it arose from a physical need for warmth rather than a quest to reinvent an art form. Yet by piecing together scraps of fabric and clothing, they were creating abstract designs that had never before been expressed on quilts. These patterns and piecing styles were passed down over generations, surviving slavery, the antebellum South, and Jim Crow, the academy explained. 'During the Civil Rights movement in 1966, the Freedom Quilting Bee was established as a way for African-American women from Gee's Bend and nearby Rehoboth to gain economic independence. The Bee cooperative began to sell quilts throughout the U.S., gaining recognition for the free-form, seemingly improvisational designs that had long been the hallmark of local quilt design. As awareness grew, so did acclaim, and the quilts entered the lexicon of homegrown American art. 'Since then, quilts from Gee's Bend have been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and others. In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service even issued ten commemorative stamps featuring images of Gee's Bend quilts,' it concluded. The Spencertown Academy opened its doors as a teacher training college in 1847, one of the first United States facilities to accept women as well as men. Its founder was Timothy Woodbridge—pastor of St. Peter's Church in Spencertown, champion of universal education and nephew of Aaron Burr. A decade later, the academy became a two-room schoolhouse for Spencertown and Austerlitz area children; in 1970, the school was closed permanently. In 1972 local residents formed the Spencertown Academy Society to save the academy and recreate it as a community arts center, spearheading a 10-year restoration of the historic Greek Revival building. Today the academy offers concerts, lectures, classes and gallery shows. The curator of the exhibit, Lisa Bouchard Hoe, is a local real estate broker and quilt collector; she worked with the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy to bring the exhibition to Spencertown.
