The ex-Baltimore cop who was shot by his wife for sexually abusing the children at her daycare will be held without bond, and the 93 children who attended will be interviewed by police.
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James Weems,57, faces 13 charges after three children said he sexually abused them at his wife’s daycare. According to CBS News, the investigation began on July 3 after the parents of a 10-year-old girl said James showed their daughter pornography on a daycare bus. He also touched her at the daycare’s playground. Investigators seized Weems’ cellphone on July 18 after obtaining a search and seizure warrant and said his browser history matched the 10-year-old girl’s story.
Another victim, a 7-year–old boy, said in an interview with police on July 21 that Weems touched him inappropriately at the daycare and a 12-year-old girl reported the same issue to her parents two days later. She said Weems asked her to take sexually explicit photos of herself, but she told him no. Police said they are in process of interviewing 93 other children who attended the daycare after believing there were more victims.
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As previously reported, a warrant was issued last Monday for Weem’s arrest during his hospitalization. He was hospitalized after his wife, Shanteari, shot him twice at a hotel in Washington D.C. over the sexual abuse allegations. Shanteari was ordered to be held without bond last Friday and deemed a danger to the community. Her charges include assault with intent to kill and possessing an unregistered firearm for the shooting.
The shooting occurred at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and Shanteari told police that she shot her husband because he charged at her during the argument. She allegedly threatened to harm herself during negotiations but was later arrested. Investigators collected two guns and a notebook detailing the plans of how she would confront her husband.
Further documents from the case stated Weems told the two alleged victims to sit in the front of the daycare van with him. They were allegedly told not to talk about what happened to them.
Parents raised concerns after one alleged victim watched pornography on her tablet.
The charging document said one victim’s parents reported the abuse to police after noticing that their daughter was watching pornography on her tablet.
“When I asked, the victim stated that her bus driver at daycare ‘Mr. James’ showed her where to find the pornography. The victim went on to tell her family that ‘Mr. James’ showed her pornography on his cell phone while they were on the daycare bus,”
Before the shooting and subsequent arrest, Weems drove the daycare van for two years and worked at the center for four years. He retired from the Baltimore Police Department in 2005 and served as a Marine. A public defender is representing his case.