Florida man gets 156 years-to-life in Weld child exploitation case

Published on March 17, 2026

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Florida man will spend more than 150 years behind bars following his conviction on multiple child exploitation and attempted sexual assault charges.

On March 2, Weld County District Court Judge Audrey Galloway sentenced 49-year-old Joel Kaufman of Florida to 156 years-to-life in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

A Weld County jury found Kaufman guilty in December of 2025 on 30 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of attempted sexual assault on a child, two counts of internet sexual exploitation of a child, and two counts of enticement of a child.

The investigation began after Colorado law enforcement received information that Kaufman was traveling across the country with the intent to commit sex crimes involving minors.

On March 7, 2024, investigators arrested Kaufman after he traveled from Florida to Colorado following online communications in which he arranged what he believed would be an incest family situation with a mom and her two daughters. Based on the evidence, the defendant believed the females were 10 and 14 years old.

During the investigation, law enforcement conducted an extensive forensic review of digital devices belonging to Kaufman. Investigators examined approximately one million images recovered from his phone and computer.

Investigators found more than 3,600 images and videos of child sexual abuse or exploitation on Kaufman’s cell phone, along with more than 2,400 additional images where investigators could not determine whether the people shown were minors or adults.

“We hope this sentence sends a clear message that individuals who travel to Colorado intending to exploit children will be identified and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Deputy District Attorney Amy Petri Beard said. “The evidence in this case was both extensive and disturbing and suggested this defendant had a deliberate plan to target young victims in our community. Thanks to the meticulous work of investigators and the collaboration between the Weld County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, this defendant will spend the rest of his natural life in prison where he can no longer pose a threat to children in our community or other communities across the country.”