Scott Wayne Laney, 47, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for producing child pornography. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced the sentencing.
Court documents revealed that from summer 2023 until January 2024, Laney sexually abused a minor and distributed images of the abuse online. The victim was under 13 years old during the time of abuse.
Laney is a convicted sex offender with a previous conviction in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree in 1999 involving an infant. He was required to register as a sex offender at the time of his latest offense.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized during sentencing that child sex offenders have a high risk of reoffending. As noted by the Supreme Court in McKune v. Lile, "When convicted sex offenders reenter society, they are much more likely than any other type of offender to be rearrested for a new rape or sexual assault." The case highlights an increase in cases involving sexual abuse and recording due to smartphone ubiquity. Severe penalties were argued as necessary due to the ease of committing such offenses.
U.S. District Judge Donavan W. Frank sentenced Laney to 420 months—35 years—of imprisonment followed by lifetime supervised release, calling it one of the worst child exploitation cases he had encountered.
“Laney is a predator in the purest and most dangerous sense,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The 35-year sentence he received is both a measure of justice and a permanent warning to others.”
BCA Superintendent Drew Evans stated, “Today represents the final phase in pursuing justice and bringing accountability to Scott Laney for his crimes.”
FBI Minneapolis Special Agent Alvin M. Winston Sr., added that “Scott Laney’s long history of predatory behavior ends today with a 35-year prison sentence."
The investigation was conducted by BCA with assistance from FBI and Meeker County Sheriff’s Office; prosecution assistance came from Meeker County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Shnider prosecuted this case.
