Bonaire man sentenced to 40 years in child pornography case

Prosecutors say investigators traced online activity to a county employee through a cyber tip involving Discord.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Bonaire man has been sentenced to 40 years after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

According to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, 49-year-old William McCord Weaver pleaded guilty Wednesday in Houston County Superior Court.

Prosecutors say the first 16 years of Weaver’s sentence will be served in prison and that he will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.

According to investigators, the case began in May 2024 after the Houston County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force related to the distribution of child pornography.

Prosecutors say the investigation traced activity tied to the social media platform Discord to the Houston County Government Annex Building.

Investigators later identified Weaver, who was employed in the county’s information technology department at the time, as the owner of the account connected to the uploads, according to prosecutors.

Officials say a search warrant executed at Weaver’s home led to the discovery of multiple electronic devices containing images and videos of child pornography.

Weaver was originally charged with 25 counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to the district attorney’s office.

“Cases involving the sexual exploitation of children are among the most disturbing and reprehensible matters this office handles,” District Attorney Eric Edwards said. “The material involved in this investigation was not abstract or victimless—it documented the abuse and exploitation of real children. Every image and video recovered represented a child who was harmed for the gratification of predators like this defendant.”