A retired Baltimore police officer has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing children at his former wife’s daycare, Lil Kidz Kastle, located in Owings Mills, Maryland.
James Weems was found guilty in November 2024 on multiple charges, including rape, sexual abuse of a minor, and showing obscene material to a minor. The abuse took place while Weems worked as a driver for the daycare, which was owned and operated by his then-wife, Shanteari Young.
One of the victims, who was 10 years old at the time, told her family that “Mr. James” had shown her pornography. Court testimony revealed that explicit content was later found on the girl’s tablet. Weems admitted to watching pornography while transporting children but denied ever exposing it to them.
Prosecutors originally charged Weems with abusing at least three children. Following the guilty verdict, they stated they would consider additional charges after sentencing.
Young, who was convicted of shooting Weems after learning about the abuse, testified against him during the trial. She had previously been sentenced to four years in prison. While the jury was not informed about the shooting, Young recalled how distraught she was when she learned of the allegations—contrasting her emotions with Weems’ calm demeanor.
“Ms. Weems did something she felt was necessary to protect those children and she’s been held accountable,” said her attorney, Tony Garcia. “Now it’s his turn.”
In March, the family of one of the victims filed a civil lawsuit against both Weems and Young. The lawsuit alleges negligence and false imprisonment, claiming the daycare failed to protect children from someone with a known pornography addiction. The family’s attorney, Jonathan Schochor, said the young victim continues to suffer from nightmares and emotional distress.
“These are lifelong injuries,” Schochor stated. “Whether she can emotionally confront what happened in her life remains to be seen.”
Weems remains in custody following his sentencing. Both he and Young are named in the ongoing civil case.
