A TV in Haddad’s apartment was streaming child porn when FBI agents raided it, federal authorities allege. Credit: LinkedIn / Zaid Haddad

The FBI arrested a University of Texas at San Antonio professor on campus Tuesday as part of a child pornography investigation, according to the Justice Department.

The presence of federal agents at the school’s main campus triggered speculation on Reddit that the arrest was immigration-related and perhaps even a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Trump administration has targeted international students in recent weeks by revoking their visas as part of its hardline immigration policies.

However, rumors of an immigration raid were put to rest after the DOJ said that the arrest of associate professor Zaid Haddad was related to allegations he accessed child pornography.

In their statement, federal authorities accuse Haddad of streaming material showing child sexual abuse from his computer to a TV in his apartment’s bedroom. Indeed, one of those videos was displayed on the set when the FBI executed its search warrant, according to the feds’ allegations.

Haddad also received links containing child porn via the Telegram app and joined Zoom calls where child porn was being streamed, DOJ officials allege.

The federal government charged Haddad with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of knowingly accessing with intent to view any material that contained an image of child pornography.

If convicted, Haddad faces up to 20 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and being required to register as a sex offender.

In a statement, UTSA spokesperson Joe Izbrand said Haddad has been placed on paid leave pending a school investigation.

Haddad has been an assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies at UTSA for nearly 11 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. During his tenure, he’s received awards, including the UTSA Ambassadors Amber Award, Departmental Merit Award and UTSA Spectrum LGBTQ Lavender Faculty Award, his resume shows.

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...