Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced Again for Child Sex Abuse

Jul 25

A 47-year-old convicted sex offender was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in federal prison for producing child pornography involving a victim under 13.

Scott Wayne Laney was sentenced to 420 months by U.S. District Judge Donavan Frank, who called it one of the worst child exploitation cases he had seen during his time on the bench. Laney will also be subject to lifetime supervised release.

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Federal prosecutors said Laney abused the victim between the summer of 2023 and Jan. 2024, documenting the abuse in images that he distributed online. At the time, the child was under the age of 13.

Laney has a prior conviction for sexually assaulting an 11-month-old infant in Mille Lacs County in 1999. He was required to register as a predatory offender in Minnesota at the time of his new offense.

In a statement during sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office referenced Laney’s previous conviction and cited a high risk of re-offense among “hands-on” child sex offenders. Prosecutors argued that as technology makes child exploitation easier to commit, the penalties must increase to reflect the harm.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said the lengthy sentence serves both as justice and deterrence.

“Laney is a predator in the purest and most dangerous sense,” Thompson said. “The 35-year sentence he received is both a measure of justice and a permanent warning to others. We will not allow repeat abusers to cycle through our system and leave a trail of trauma behind them. Minnesota’s children are not expendable. They are not targets.”

BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said the case reflects the agency’s continued commitment to holding offenders accountable.

“Today represents the final phase in pursuing justice and bringing accountability to Scott Laney for his crimes,” Evans said.

FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin Winston said Laney's abuse and distribution of child pornography showed a pattern of exploitation that warranted the severe sentence.

“This long history of predatory behavior ends today,” Winston said. “Children in our community must be protected from the abhorrent actions of convicted sex offenders like Laney.”

The case was investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the FBI and the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Meeker County Attorney’s Office.

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