Correction Officer Who Sexually Abused Boys Pleads Guilty: Court

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A Suffolk County correction officer charged with sex abuse and illegal possession of firearms has pleaded guilty, according to online court records.

Robert Weis, 56, of Hampton Bays will be sentenced on January 8, 2020, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini's media representative said Tuesday.

In April, Sini and the Southampton Town Police Department announced the arrest of Weis; he was later indicted and charged with two counts of first degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony; two counts of first degree sodomy, a felony; third degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony; and three counts of criminal possession of a firearm, a felony, police said. Weis had been employed as a Suffolk County correction officer since 1995 and is currently suspended from the office, Sini said.

Weis is represented by attorney James O'Shea of Southampton and initially pleaded not guilty. Online court records indicate that he later pleaded guilty on Dec. 9.

According to Assistant District Attorney Laurie Moroff, in 1996, Weis befriended a child who was 7 years old and "sexually abused him from" the ages of 7 to 16, engaging in "touching" and sodomy, she said.

The child, now a 29-year-old man, did not report the abuse until March when he came forward at the Southampton Town Police Department, Moroff said.

"There are still parts of this investigation that need to be examined, such as his motive in stockpiling a large amount of armament, but most concerning to us is the possibility of other victims," Southampton Town Police Chief Steven Skrynecki said at the time. "Because of his history, including other allegations of sexual abuse, and the fact that he had access to so many vulnerable people, it certainly gives rise to concern that this victim might not be his only victim."

Later in April, Weis was indicted and charged with sexually abusing a second child, Sini said.

"This is the sort of defendant we wish we never had to deal with," Sini said. "The crimes that he is alleged to have committed undoubtedly destroyed lives. We will continue to investigate his conduct and do everything in our power to bring justice to those victims."

An investigation by the Southampton Town Police Department and the DA's office began in March when a now-adult man told police that Weis had sexually abused him from when he was seven years old to 16 years old, Sini said.

Weis was arrested by the Southampton Town Police Department on April 4 and a search warrant was executed at his house, Sini said.

After being alerted to Weis' arrest through media coverage, a second man came forward to police and reported that Weis sexually abused him when he was under the age of 13 years old, Sini said.

Weis was also arrested in South Carolina in 2016 and charged with sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy; those charges are currently pending, Sini said.

Weis is the adoptive parent of five males and has been a foster parent for approximately 15 years, Sini said.

The search warrant executed at Weis' residence on April 4 resulted in the seizure of three handguns, which he possessed illegally, as well as 32 rifles and more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition, Sini said. Police also recovered stolen property belonging to the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, including bulletproof vests and EMT equipment, Sini said. Following his arrest in 2016, Weis was placed on modified duty working as a quartermaster for the sheriff's office, with access to the office's uniforms, gear and other official property, Sini said.

Weis was arraigned on the indictment in April by Acting Suffolk County Court Judge Karen M. Wilutis; bail was set at $5 million cash or $15 million bond, Sini said. Weis faces a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, Sini said.

Skrynecki said the boys Weis adopted or fostered "came typically from broken homes or were mentally challenged individuals — very vulnerable."

Moroff added that other young boys, including childhood friends of the man who came forward and his older brother, reported sleepovers in Weis' basement with "sexual abuse;" those accusations are being investigated, she said.

Weis' five adopted boys are now aged 19 to 26; he was a foster parent to others, all boys, she said.

When he was arrested, Weis had a 12-year old boy in the car, Moroff said. He was found with three handguns; forensic analysis on his electronics is ongoing, she said, adding that DVDs, including possible pornography, were found in the basement, including one labeled, "Age is just a number."

O'Shea said Weis has been employed as a correction officer for 30 years and owns his own home; he served in Iraq, as a member of the Army Reserves, and the National Guard. In April, he had four of his four adopted young men living at his home but none had filed a complaint, O'Shea said.

O'Shea said there was a reason for a statute of limitations, adding that the charges involved incidents that occurred almost 20 years ago. "It's almost impossible to remember where I was a year ago, never mind where I was 20 years ago," he said.

Reflecting on the case, O'Shea said: "I realize that child abuse is a serious problem and sometimes memories are suppressed, but trying to defend something that happened 20 years ago is really, really difficult. It's also really difficult to prosecute so it's a double edged sword."

"This is an individual who routinely abused his position of power, in both his official capacity as a correction officer and as an adult who was an authority figure for children," Sini said. "He violated the trust placed in him by those close to him, both professionally and personally. At this time, we are investigating other possible instances of abuse by this defendant and believe there could be more victims."

Sini and Skrynecki urged anyone who was victimized by Weis or has information regarding the abuse should contact the Southampton Town Police Department's detective division at 631-702-2230.