A former Lauderdale-by-the-Sea commissioner and fire chief who'd served as a volunteer Santa Claus for the town has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a possession of child pornography charge, records showed.
In addition to the five years in prison, James Jude Silverstone will be on supervised release for 20 years and will have to register as a sex offender, according to court records filed Wednesday.
Silverstone, 63, must surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on June 28 to begin serving the sentence.
The investigation into Silverstone began in April 2023 when Broward Sheriff's Office detectives learned of a computer that was downloading more than 210 files containing images and videos of child pornography, officials said.
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Silverstone was identified as a suspect and a search warrant was executed at his Miramar home in May 2023, where detectives seized a number of electronic devices.
On the devices, detectives found hundreds of additional videos and photos of child pornography with some involving children as young as infants, officials said.
In addition to previously serving as a town commissioner and fire chief, Silverstone had been a volunteer Santa Claus for the town, officials said.
