PALM HARBOR, Fla. - A Palm Harbor man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
The court also ordered 65-year-old James Joseph Weishaar to pay $27,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses and register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on September 27, 2023.
According to court documents, between March and December 2020, the FBI used a file-sharing program to connect to Weishaar’s computer and download from it several files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
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In January 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Weishaar’s home and seized several electronic devices.
A forensic search of those devices revealed more than 1,000 photos and over 100 videos of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting sadistic conduct and toddlers. In an interview with the FBI, Weishaar stated, “I don’t even know if it’s okay, but I’m attracted to it.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation—Tampa investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the Largo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ross Roberts prosecuted it.
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