Florida man sentenced by Weld County judge to 156 years to life in the
Published on February 03, 2026
[WELD COUNTY, Colo.] Today, a Weld County judge sentenced Joel Kaufman, 49, to 156 years to life in the Department of Corrections.
On Mar. 7, 2024, investigators arrested Kaufman, who traveled from Florida to Colorado after arranging what he believed would be sexual contact with girls aged 10 and 14. His arrest included charges of, enticement of a child-2 counts, internet sexual exploitation of a child-2 counts, and internet luring of a child-2 counts.
Weld County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dayle Rosebrock, alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), dedicated extensive hours to categorizing and documenting material while working closely with the Weld County District Attorney’s Office to prepare the case for prosecution.
The volume of evidence in this case was significant. Investigators estimated they examined more than 1 million images recovered from Kaufman’s phone and personal computer. While many of the images were ordinary in nature, the review was exhaustive, and every image required individual examination. From Kaufman’s cell phone alone, investigators classified 3,668 items as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), and an additional 2,452 items as age difficult.
On December 4, 2025, following a trial, Kaufman was found guilty of the following charges:
• Enticement of a Child – 2 counts
• Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child – 2 counts
• Attempted Sexual Assault on a Child – 2 counts
• Sexual Exploitation of a Child – 30 counts
“The Weld County Sheriff’s Office worked tirelessly to investigate this case. Upholding the rule of law, protecting victims, and keeping our community safe are our highest priorities. We would like to thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations for assisting us on this case and the District Attorney’s Office for their efforts prosecuting this case,” said, Weld County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Captain, Matt Turner. ###