Scott Wayne Laney, 47, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for producing child pornography. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Court documents reveal that between the summer of 2023 and January 2024, Laney sexually abused a minor under the age of 13, creating and distributing images of the abuse online.
Laney is a previously convicted sex offender, having been convicted in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, on August 30, 1999, for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree involving an infant. At the time of his recent offenses, he was required to register as a sex offender in Minnesota.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlighted during sentencing that child sex offenders have a high risk of reoffending. Referencing McKune v. Lile, it noted that “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.” It argued that severe penalties are necessary due to the increasing ease with which these crimes can be committed.
U.S. District Judge Donavan W. Frank imposed a sentence of 420 months—35 years—followed by lifetime supervised release. Judge Frank described this case as 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 in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr., commented: “Scott Laney’s long history of predatory behavior ends today.”
The investigation was conducted by the BCA with assistance from the FBI and Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, with prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Shnider.
