A federal judge sentenced a former Iowa City psychologist to the maximum 10 years in prison for storing child pornography on his computer.
Howard Weinberg, 61, of 332 S. Governor St., pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession of child pornography on March 31. The United States District Court gave him the maximum sentence possible on Sept. 18.
In addition to prison time, Weinberg will be on supervised release for another 10 years, court records show.
During that time, he will not be allowed to use or possess a computer or access the Internet without permission of his probation officer. He also may not use or possess any type of camera, even on a cell phone, according to court documents.
Weinberg was charged in April of 2008 after his wife took his computer to a store to be repaired. A tip from store employees led investigators to at least 600 pictures and dozens of videos showing children engaged in sex acts.
The defense said Weinberg has made progress in therapy since his arrest, but U.S. District Court Judge John A. Jarvey denied a request to reduce the sentence, noting the victims’ young age , how long the conduct took place, images of bondage and torture, and the need to protect the public, according to a U.S. Department of Justice Press Release.
Weinberg gave up his right to appeal when he filed the guilty plea. His attorney, Leon Spies, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Good. This guy is a sicko, but even before all this went down, I knew him to be an incredibly unpleasant man. Rude, caustic and consecending. 10 years behind bars ought to do him some good.