A Texas college professor who publicly branded himself as a “social justice advocate” is facing federal child pornography charges after investigators say he was caught actively streaming explicit content involving minors when federal agents raided his home.
Zaid Mashhour Haddad, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), was arrested last Tuesday following a federal investigation that uncovered evidence of him accessing and streaming more than 180 videos of child pornography, some allegedly through encrypted messaging platforms and virtual meetings.
According to prosecutors, FBI agents executing a search warrant at Haddad’s apartment found a child pornography video playing on his bedroom TV at the moment they entered. Court documents state that the video had been sent to Haddad via a Telegram link, part of a broader network of Zoom meetings used to livestream illegal content.
The charges against Haddad are jarring in contrast to his public persona. On UTSA’s website, Haddad is described as a “teacher educator and social justice advocate” whose academic focus includes “intersecting identities” and educational equity. Before entering higher education, he had worked as a high school teacher and guidance counselor, and he was a doctoral student at the University of Nevada prior to joining UTSA.
But federal prosecutors allege a far darker reality behind the façade.
Haddad has been charged with:
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One count of possession of child pornography
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One count of knowingly accessing with intent to view material containing images of child pornography
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
UTSA has not issued a public comment on Haddad’s arrest as of Monday. The professor’s profile was still visible on the university’s site shortly after news of the charges broke, though it’s unclear if he has been formally placed on leave or terminated.
The academic community and broader public have reacted with outrage and disbelief, particularly given Haddad’s role in training future educators and his focus on youth-oriented educational disciplines. His credentials, once signaling trust and authority, are now overshadowed by an investigation that points to systematic exploitation behind closed doors.
The criminal complaint reveals chilling details of Haddad’s online activity. Investigators say his digital footprint led them to links and Zoom rooms where child pornography was broadcast in real time. Telegram, an encrypted platform often used for privacy-centric communication, was identified as the method through which Haddad allegedly accessed the illicit material.
His case adds to a growing list of educators and authority figures implicated in serious digital sex crimes, highlighting what law enforcement officials describe as a disturbing convergence of academic trust and private predation.
