Skyler Douglas Laza, 34 (Source: Anderson County Jail Records)
TYLER, Texas – A former Texas law enforcement officer faces up to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty Monday to child exploitation charges in federal court, officials announced.
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Former officer pleads guilty
Skyler Douglas Laza, 34, pleaded guilty July 27 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
The backstory:
Court documents show Laza, a former Houston County deputy, persuaded a child under 12 on at least two occasions to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create visual images using a cell phone.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, Laza faces between 40 and 60 years in federal prison, along with lifetime sex offender registration and supervised release.
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What’s next:
A sentencing date will be set following a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Dallas Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Palestine Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
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