CdA man sentenced on child porn charges

A 39-year-old Coeur d’Alene man was sentenced to five years in federal prison Monday after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. Wade T. Weingart’s computer was tracked by federal authorities beginning in July 2012, when investigators tracked more than 60 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit acts being shared through a peer-to-peer network on Weingart’s computer. Authorities searched his Coeur d’Alene home in January 2013 and recovered a hard drive containing the videos, according to court documents. During the search, Weingart told police he’d downloaded the child pornography, according to records. Weingart waived his right to an indictment by a grand jury earlier this year and negotiations for a plea agreement commenced shortly after his arrest. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also imposed a probation period of five years and restitution of $3,000 to a minor in his sentence handed down Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Idaho. According to the terms of the plea deal, Weingart will have to register as a sex offender and his access to the Internet, as well as areas where children might be present, will be restricted.