Former Jacksonville Beach city attorney pleads guilty to child abuse, won’t serve any more jail time

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The former city attorney for Jacksonville Beach is pleading guilty to child abuse, Action News Jax learned Friday.

Christopher Ambrosio was originally arrested in March 2021 on molestation charges.

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JSO said at the time of Ambrosio’s arrest that its investigation began after receiving reports from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Atlantic Beach Police Department (ABPD) dating back to February 2021 that detailed sexual abuse claims at the hands of Ambrosio against a teenage victim.

Investigators say Ambrosio had been alone with the victim on several occasions prior to the reported incident.

Read: Jacksonville Beach City Attorney arrested, accused of molesting teenager

On Feb. 19, Ambrosio texted the victim, asking if they would like to have a sleepover, according to an arrest report.

Investigators say Ambrosio took the victim to Publix, where he purchased White Claw and Smirnoff.

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Around 10:50 p.m. that night, investigators say the victim contacted her mother asking to be picked up. Many of the details of the incident have been redacted from the arrest report.

After his arrest, the City of Jacksonville Beach suspended Ambrosio and moved to terminate him. In April, Ambrosio submitted his resignation.

Ambrosio’s guilty plea to child abuse was a deal between the prosecution and defense, in consultation with the victim’s family, according to prosecutors.

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During his arraignment on Friday, Ambrosio was sentenced to two days in jail with credit for two days served, which means he will not serve additional jail time.

Ambrosio must also be on probation for five years and has to actively participate in a sex offender treatment program at his own expense.

He was ordered to have no contact with the victim and he cannot visit schools, child care facilities or playgrounds without approval from his probation officer.

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