Hawkins man surrenders for posting city council member’s phone number

HAWKINS – Our news partners at KETK report that a Hawkins man has turned himself into the Wood County Jail after he allegedly posted the cellphone number of a Hawkins city council woman on Facebook. Todd Eddington runs the Crooked Wood County “Justice” System Part III page on Facebook. On Dec. 10, arrest documents allege that he used the page to share the cellphone number of Hawkins city councilwoman Eleta Taylor. Taylor then reportedly requested that Eddington take the number down from the page because of safety concerns. Eddington’s response to her request was quoted in an affidavit for his arrest that was obtained by KETK.

“You put your phone number on an application for a PUBLIC SERVANT position, which makes it PUBLIC INFORMATION. But I’m curious what the “SAFETY REASONS” would be for not having your number be public? Does it hurt you when your phone rings or some s**t? LOL,” Eddington’s response reportedly said.

In messages to KETK and to posts on Facebook, Eddington has admitted that he posted the numbers of several city council members. After several items were seized from his house during the execution of a search warrant issued on Jan. 21, he posted the following:

“They’re claiming that they needed my computer, my video glasses, my hand-held recorder, and over 30 flash drives, as “EVIDENCE” that I posted the phone numbers of Hawkins City Council members? WTF?!?!? H**l, all they have to do for the “EVIDENCE” of that is to scroll down on this page where the VERY LEGAL POSTS are, AND WILL REMAIN, and get screenshots of them. They just did it because they WANTED TO STEAL S**T because, like I’ve told y’all many times before, THE COPS ARE THE CRIMINALS HERE.”

Todd Eddington on Crooked Wood County “Justice” System Part III
Texas Penal Code Section 36.06 (a-1) says a person could be charged with obstruction or retaliation if that person “posts on a publicly accessible website the residence address or telephone number of an individual the actor knows is a public servant or a member of a public servant’s family or household with the intent to cause harm or a threat of harm to the individual or a member of the individual’s family or household in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the individual as a public servant.”

Eddington turned himself into the Wood County Jail for two counts of obstruction or retaliation at around 4:58 a.m. on Thursday.