Former Quioccasin MS teacher sentenced to 5 years for solicitation of a minor
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A former Quioccasin Middle School band teacher was sentenced this week to five years in prison, with 85 additional years suspended, for using an electronic communications system to solicit a minor.
Jeffrey Michael Lazenby, 32, of Prince Edward County, will be required to register as a sex offender. Attorney General Mark R. Herring, whose prosecutors handled the case, made the announcement after Lazenby was sentenced by Prince Edward County Circuit Court Judge Donald Blessing.
“Another dangerous predator is off our streets thanks to the hard work and collaboration between my team and local law enforcement,” Herring said. “Those who take advantage of children in these disgusting ways must be brought to justice and my office and I will continue working to make sure men like this are placed behind bars.”
Lazenby pleaded guilty in September to nine counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. According to evidence presented at the plea hearing, Lazenby was identified in May 2017 by administrators at Quioccasin Middle School through an anonymous email naming him as the perpetrator of inappropriate contact with a minor. Upon notifying law enforcement, investigators interviewed Lazenby, who admitted to communicating with the minor.
Further evidence showed that Lazenby met the minor on an adult sex chat website, initially believing her to be older than 18. After moving their chats to Facebook Messenger, the minor revealed that she was actually a 16 year-old living in Pennsylvania. Lazenby acknowledged her age and regularly instructed her to perform sexual acts between March and May 2017.
The case was investigated by the Henrico County Police Department and Virginia State Police, as part of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, along with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant Attorney General Melissa Chong of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth, with cooperation from the Prince Edward Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
