Man sent to prision for video voyeurism
Weems
COEUR d’ALENE — A man who posted a nude image of his former girlfriend on a social media site was sentenced to prison for video voyeurism, but the Coeur d’Alene judge suspended the sentence and ordered a 10-day jail sentence and probation.
Jason Weems, 38, apologized to the First District judge this week, but stuck with his story that he didn’t know how the image appeared on Facebook after he broke up with his girlfriend.
Weems claimed he was drunk and had blacked out the night the image was added to the site, and thought maybe his small son posted the image from his cellphone archives.
Judge John Mitchell considered sending Weems to prison, or a prison rehab program, for the incident and ordered a five-year maximum sentence.
Weems, however, had followed the judge’s orders from an August arraignment to abstain from smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. He posted clean urine tests since then and had gotten a job.
“I did everything you told me,” Weems told the judge.
Deputy prosecutor Casey Simmons said Weems refused to take accountability for the incident and asked for Weems to attend a prison rehabilitation, or rider program as part of the five-year sentence.
Linda Payne of the public defender’s office said her client was taking responsibility, and has been steadily promoted since getting a job at a Liberty Lake RV sales lot. She asked for a withheld judgment — if Weems performed impeccably on probation the charge would not show up on his record — but Mitchell declined.
According to a police report, Weems, of Post Falls, sent his 21-year-old girlfriend via text message an image of her sleeping naked. Shortly afterward, about 12:15 a.m., the image appeared on Facebook. Weems and the woman had been together about three months.
Mitchell ordered Weems be placed on felony probation for four years, complete 300 hours community service, and pay $895.50 in fines and fees. A no-contact order will remain in place at least for the length of probation.