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A retired Baltimore police officer has been sentenced for sexually abusing children at his ex-wife's daycare.
On Monday (April 14), retired officer James Weems was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in November of rape, sexual abuse of a minor, and showing obscene matter to a minor, per CBS News.
Weems drove the van for Lil Kidz Kastle, a daycare in Owings Mills owned by his former wife, Shanteari Young. According to his indictment, Weems abused at least three children at the daycare. Court records state Weems admitted to looking at pornography while taking children to school, but he denied intentionally showing the kids or touching minors.
An uncle of one of the victims testified that their family found pornography on the child's tablet. The child, who was 10 at the time of the abuse, allegedly told her family that "Mr James" had shown it to her.
Young, who was sentenced to four years in prison for shooting Weems after learning about the allegations, also testified against her ex-husband in court.
"Ms. Weems did something that she felt was worth it to protect those children, and she's been held accountable," her attorney Tony Garcia said in a statement. "Now, it's his turn."
Weems' sentencing also comes after a victim's parent filed a civil lawsuit in March. The lawsuit alleged that the daycare should've known Weems wasn't fit to be around children and "was addicted to internet pornography and would habitually watch pornography every chance he had…"
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