BALTIMORE — A retired Baltimore police officer accused of sexually abusing kids at his wife's day care was ordered to "Level 3 Home Detention" in court Tuesday.
James Weems Jr. made headlines after he was shot by his wife in a D.C. hotel room in July 2022 after she confronted him about accusations of child abuse she'd heard from parents at her day care. At the time, James Weems had been working at the day care as a bus driver for two years.
His wife, 50-year-old Shanteari Weems, is currently serving a 4-year sentence for shooting her husband in a Mandarin Oriental hotel room.
Court documents in 2022 detailed allegations against James Weems Jr., including showing pornographic videos to children, touching them, exposing himself and forcing them to touch him. A search warrant served on July 18, 2022, allowed police to collect James Weems Jr.'s cellphone, and his search history included frequent visits to the specific porn site one of the victims referenced.
Prosecutors have charged James Weems Jr. with 33 counts of rape and child sex crimes.
In court Tuesday, the retired police officer was placed on "Level 3 Home Detention" while he awaits trial. Additionally, James Weems Jr. has been ordered to not have any contact with children, victims or witnesses connected to his case.
Shanteari Weems viewed herself as a woman on a crusade to save children. Her husband, James Weems, was her partner on that mission. But when Shanteari Weems learned her husband was accused of molesting children at the day care she owned in Baltimore, she shot him – twice – in a swanky D.C. hotel room. Now, she's speaking out for the first time since a judge surprised both the defense and prosecutors by sentencing her to four years in jail.