Cody Brett Weaver

Sources

1. Queen Creek man indicted 4 months after house was raided, 12 News, September 24, 2024.
2. Queen Creek Man Indicted on Three Counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Hoodline, September 24, 2024.
3. thekayleighkozak and the.patriot.barbie, Instagram, August 6, 2024.
4. Queen Creek man's home raided in child porn case. 3 months later neighbors wonder why he hasn't been charged., MSN, August 13, 2024.

• 1. Queen Creek man indicted 4 months after house was raided

  • 24 Sep 2024
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  • 12 News

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  QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — A Queen Creek man has been indicted for exploiting a minor after police searched the suspect's home four months ago.

  Cody Weaver is facing three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after law enforcement received a tip about the 31-year-old allegedly possessing explicit material depicting children.

  Police officers executed a search warrant at Weaver's residence in late April and seized several electronic devices.

  According to a 60-page police report obtained by 12News, detectives reported finding at least 13 files of explicit materials depicting children.

  Weaver was arrested in June but a grand jury did not indict him until this month.

  The Maricopa County Attorney's Office previously told 12News the agency needed more evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt before prosecuting the suspect.

  Jason Lamm, the attorney for Weaver, issued the following statement:

  "Probable cause is a very low quantum of proof, far below proof beyond a reasonable doubt and in no way affects the presumption of innocence. There’s an old saying in the law: 'A grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.'”

• 2. Queen Creek Man Indicted on Three Counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

  • 24 Sep 2024
  • News article
  • Hoodline

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  The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has announced an indictment in a case concerning allegations of sexual exploitation of a minor. Cody Brett Weaver, born in April 1993, stands accused of leveraging the innocence of youth for heinous ends. According to a press release from the county prosecutor's office, the indictment includes three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a charge that resonates with severity in its designation as a Class Two Dangerous Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children.

  It was a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in late April that set the authorities on Weaver's trail. With evidence that pulled back the curtains on images and videos of abuse, the Queen Creek Police Department acted, following the thread that led to a warrant and a search of Weaver's home. This search culminated in his arrest by the Queen Creek Police Department in June, and ensued his booking into jail - the walls of which now contain the gravity of these accusations.

  Further details from the Maricopa County Attorney's release state that the Grand Jury delivered its indictment last week. However, as the mechanisms of justice stutter into motion, the court has not yet pronounced a trial date, and the case remains shrouded in the anticipatory silence that often precedes the clash of legal narratives.

  As the system braces to exhume the truth, it is crucial to recall that an indictment is not tantamount to a conviction; it is merely an accusation. Weaver, as with all in the crucible of America's legal arena, is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

• 3. thekayleighkozak and the.patriot.barbie

  • 6 Aug 2024
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  • Instagram

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• 4. Queen Creek man's home raided in child porn case. 3 months later neighbors wonder why he hasn't been charged.

  • 13 Aug 2024
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  • MSN

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  Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misrepresented the status of this case. In July, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office furthered the case back to the Queen Creek Police Department for more investigation and QCPD resubmitted the case. It is now under review.

  Neighbors and community members in Queen Creek are outraged with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office's delays to make a charging decision in a child porn case.

  Over the last five months, arrest documents show Cody Weaver admitted to watching child porn, attempting to download and upload what he believed was "AI child porn," and has been arrested on over a dozen counts of sexual exploitation of a minor but was never formally charged.

  The investigation began back in March when Queen Creek police were alerted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that someone at an IP Address in Queen Creek was attempting to upload child abuse material to a Gmail account, according to a 60-page police report obtained by 12News.

  On April 26, Queen Creek PD executed a search warrant at Weaver's home and seized over a dozen of his laptops, hard drives, and phones. Weaver agreed to speak with detectives without a lawyer.

  In that interview, he admitted to having an addiction to pornography and told the detectives he had viewed child pornography before. He claimed he had previously downloaded "AI pornography" and became afraid when an alert popped up on his laptop that he was viewing child abuse material.

  In the police report, detectives say they did not find AI porn; instead, they allegedly found 13 files depicting child pornography. After a forensic review, officials said the children involved ranged in age from under one to teens around 15 years old. All were engaging in sexual acts, police said.

  "The public should be made aware of what's going on, even if he has yet to be prosecuted," sexual assault victim advocate, Kayleigh Kozak said. "They found these videos compiled on this man's devices that were in his home. This man to the police, admitted that he has, in fact, watched underage porn.”

  Kozak says she's been outspoken on this case after people who live in Weaver's neighborhood expressed concern with the lack of action on this case. She said many of the neighbors saw the search warrant be executed, but have still seen Weaver attend community events with children present.

  Weaver was arrested by Queen Creek PD on June 13. They believed they had probable cause to arrest him on 14 counts of possessing and distributing sexual exploitation of a minor materials. He was booked into jail and had a mugshot taken, but his stay behind bars was short.

  This is because the Maricopa County Attorney's office sent the case back to the Queen Creek Police Department. A spokesperson tells 12News this was done because they needed more evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, the legal bar to garner a conviction in criminal court.

  When we asked what specific evidence they believed they were missing, we were told they could not disclose that information.

  Queen Creek PD resubmitted the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's office for charging on July 23, but the case has yet to be charged.

  When we asked Queen Creek PD what additional evidence they have now provided to prosecutors, we were told to file a records request and would not state what additional investigation they conducted.

  “These cases are not being taken seriously, and it's deeply concerning, especially given the nature of the allegations," Kozak said.

  Weaver does not appear to have any prior criminal record. His defense attorney, Jason Lamm, made a statement on his behalf alleging that there was not enough evidence to charge him with a crime.

  The full statement:

  Police often arrest people based on their unilateral belief that there is probable cause to believe that a crime was committed. The inquiry does not simply end there as prosecutors must believe that they have evidence that is strong enough to warrant a conviction.

  While Cody Weaver was arrested on the Queen Creek Police Department’s belief that he committed a crime, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to file charges at that time and the case was dismissed. Mr. Weaver is presumed innocent and stands on that presumption. Criminal cases are decided in a court of law - not in the court of public opinion or on neighborhood social media.

  The Maricopa County Attorney's office did not give a timeline on when they will decide to charge the case or not. There is no statute of limitations for sex crimes involving children in Arizona, meaning there is no deadline on when the case must be charged.