Jackson Hull, 25, faces accusations of grooming a student, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say he used Canva to chat with the victim.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former River City Science Academy Elementary School 4th grade teacher is in police custody on charges of attempting to groom a student for a romantic relationship, according to investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).
Jackson Hull, 25, was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of being an authority figure soliciting or engaging in romantic relations with a student, according to Duval County Jail records.
River City Science Academy Elementary School told First Coast News Hull was an employee of the school and has since been terminated.
Hull is accused of communicating with the victim through the online graphic design tool Canva and investigators said Hull set up a meet with the victim at a local park Saturday afternoon using messages in shared project files on Canva, according to a police report.
The meet was brought to light after the victim asked her parents if she could go to the park at 10 a.m. Saturday. When further questioned by her parents on why she had to go at that time, she told them she was meeting her teacher.
Access to the Canva messages was gained and it was shown Hull had asked the victim if she missed him and that he would see her tomorrow referring to the park, according to a police report.
Investigators said it was revealed Hull had created a secret message group on March 13 where only the two of them had access and he sent “just write whatever lol i’ll check it out later”.
The police report indicated there was no response until March 25 and the suspect said “relaxin glad you finally showed up {redacted}, about to play some more oceanhorn :)”. He goes on to say, “work was so boring until you showed up lol” and “sorry if i was for real annoying you earlier, do you not like touch?”
They decided to play a game of 20 questions, and the victim asked Hull if he had a girlfriend and he replied, “not then either, focused on graduating first!!!”, according to the report. He later said, “my lunch is around 12:20, but most of my afternoon will be free. Kids are doing a science test after a quick review, so I’ll be available whenever! Gotta go, bye! Don’t miss me too much lol”. Then he said, “what am i saying ik you will, be honest lol, i’m back”.
During the investigation, police said it was revealed the victim and Hull were alone on March 6 inside the suspect’s classroom and surveillance video showed as Hull was walking past her desk, “she slapped him on the buttocks”. Hull never reported the incident to school staff.
Hull was interviewed by police, and he said he initially thought the relationship between him and the victim was not inappropriate, but later admitted he got too comfortable with the victim, according to the police report. He also admitted to starting the secret Canva conversation that he said he would access the conversation through his cell phone and work computer to communicate with the victim.
Hull denied any inappropriate interaction between him and the victim and if there was any, then he would’ve reported it, according to the report. When confronted about the March 6 incident, Hull did not have an explanation.
Investigators said Hull established grooming behaviors and went to “great lengths” to communicate with the victim.
Hull is being held at the Duval County jail, where he’s also facing a charge of unlawful use of a two-way communication device in this case.
In a statement to First Coast News, River City Science Academy Elementary School Principal Nicole Spanbauer said:
“River City Science Academy Elementary School takes all matters involving student safety extremely seriously. After becoming aware of a concern involving a former staff member, immediate action was taken in accordance with school policy and legal requirements.
The individual is no longer associated with the school, and the matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities. The school will continue cooperating fully with any ongoing review.
Adhering to our obligations regarding student privacy and the integrity of the process, we cannot provide further comment at this time. We appreciate the community’s understanding as we continue to prioritize the safety and well‑being of our students.”
First Coast News Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman says predators will often use apps like this as a way to work around the system.
“Being in the position that he’s in or was in as a teacher, he’s very familiar with that app,” Baughman said. “He knows that the student that he’s communicating with is familiar with that app, so he takes advantage of it. He sees the vulnerability of the app, and he tries to groom this child.”
Parents say the case is a reminder to keep open conversations with their kids and pay close attention to their online activity.
“The unfortunate side of it is, unless we’re actually paying attention to it, law enforcement and parents, it’s going to continue to happen,” Baughman added. “We have to be vigilant and have to be able to look and see what our kids are doing, who they’re communicating with, and who’s trying to communicate with them.”