Police Predators

November 2025

Welcome to Police Predators, a side project that documents child sexual abuse by law enforcement officers. Every month, I’ll be doing a roundup of all the stories I could find about cops that were charged with, convicted of, and/or sentenced for their crimes against minors.

Skyler Laza, a former deputy in Houston County, Texas, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Laza was also federally indicted for production of child sexual abuse materials. Original story here.

Kenan Robert Laza, a former police officer in Gladewater, Texas, was arrested and charged with indecency with a child. Kenan Laza is the brother of Skyler Laza, and both are accused of abusing the same victim. Additionally, a third brother, Kaleb Laza, and their father, Carl Laza, were also charged with abusing the same victim. Original story here.

Ryan Agustin, a former police officer in Bellevue, Nebraska, was arrested and charged with manufacturing child sexual abuse materials. Agustin allegedly maintained a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, during which he solicited lewd photos. He allegedly admitted to exchanging nude photos and having sexual contact with the minor over the course of a year. Original story here.

James Hurley Edwards, a former police sergeant in Miami, Florida, died by suicide after being found guilty of production and possession of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Edwards was scheduled to be sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. He was also arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with two brothers, ages 15 and 16, in 2014. He agreed to a plea deal that allowed him to avoid being listed as a sexual offender and to keep his $9,000-a-month pension. He was sentenced to just 1 year in prison followed by 10 years of probation. Original story here.

Ndegnior Kpan, an NYPD officer in the Bronx, New York, was arrested and charged with rape, sexual misconduct, and endangering the welfare of a child. Kpan allegedly maintained a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Original story here.

James L. Goodwin, a retired police captain in Belleville, Illinois, was arrested and charged with 3 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor. Goodwin allegedly sexually abused 2 female relatives under the age of 13 multiple times. He has pleaded not guilty. In 2000, Goodwin shot and killed an unarmed suspect in the back of the head during a foot chase. Charges were not filed against him, and he was given a promotion in 2004. Original story here.

James Wagner, a retired sheriff in Dakota County, Nebraska, was arrested and charged with 3 counts of prohibited acts relating to child sexual abuse material, 25 counts of possessing or receiving child sexual abuse material, and 1 count of child abuse. Wagner allegedly solicited and sent explicit messages to a minor through Facebook Messenger, instructing the victim to delete messages and not tell her parents. Original story here.

Jonathan Monge, a police corporal in Hyattsville, Maryland, was arrested and charged with crimes including sexual abuse of a minor, second-degree rape, and third- and fourth-degree sex offenses. Original story here.

Andrew LaBruno, a police sergeant in Jersey City, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. LaBruno is also the former mayor of Dumont, New Jersey. He allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a minor he met on a social media app. Original story here.

Clarence Lee Evans, a park police officer in New Orleans, Louisiana, was arrested and charged with 2 felony counts of indecent behavior with juveniles and 1 felony count of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. Evans allegedly met a minor on "Just A Baby," a Tinder-like application for people looking for sperm donors or surrogates. Prosecutors say Evans performed artificial insemination with his minor victim at a hotel on two separate occasions. Original story here.

Layton Artigo, a former police officer in Troy, Montana, was arrested and charged with 1 count of grooming of a child for sexual offense and 1 count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Artigo allegedly solicited lewd photos from minors on social media apps like Snapchat. Authorities say that upon executing a search warrant at Artigo's home, they found burnt and bleached remains of a computer in his oven. Original story here.

Updates

Austin Sabo pleaded guilty to charges including rape, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, sexual battery, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, and illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance. Sabo's victim was 17 years old.

Marc Lugo was granted pretrial release under the condition of home detention and electronic monitoring. Prosecutors argued that there was no foolproof way to keep track of Lugo's electronic usage and that he should remain in custody, but the judge disagreed. Lugo's wife, also a police detective, says she will not allow him to use the home Wi-Fi and will report any violations of his release terms.

Myron Chatwin was found guilty of 3 counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a child and 2 counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a child. Chatwin was acquitted of 1 count of second-degree sexual abuse of a child. 2 of his victims were under the age of 13, and 1 victim was between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of the abuse. Chatwin faces up to 190 years in prison.

Owen Halls pleaded no contest to 1 count of possession of child sexual abuse materials, with a second count being dismissed.

Daryn Edwards was arrested again, this time by the FBI, and charged in federal court with 5 additional charges, including exploitation of children, coercion, enticement, and possession of child sexual abuse materials.

You can find all my previous roundups below.