Anamosa Middle School gym teacher charged with sexual exploitation of minor

ANAMOSA — An Anamosa Middle School gym teacher has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after officials charge that he sent inappropriate messages to a 10th-grade girl in 2014.

The messages, purportedly from physical education teacher Wayne Michael Lasack, 50, were first shared anonymously with the district in 2018. The district investigated the allegation, which Lasack denied, and shared the information with Anamosa police. No charges resulted.

The messages again were sent to the district in May, but with the student identified this time, leading to Lasack being charged June 17 in Jones County District Court.

Investigation

The Anamosa principal, identified as “L.V.” in the criminal complaint, told police the messages were turned over to the Anamosa Police Department in 2018 and that she believed the allegations were “unfounded” at the time, the criminal complaint states.

In the complaint, Anamosa police Officer Tyler Hunt said the principal contacted the department this May about the messages being sent again, but with the former student identified this time.

The Facebook conversation between Lasack and the student “clearly” stated she was in the 10th grade, according to the complaint.

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In the messages, Lasack commented on the student’s physical appearance and told her if they were going to chat, “we should probably keep this fairly quiet, with you being so young and me being so old.”

He also asked the girl to send him a “naughty” photo. She declined, and Lasack left the conversation.

Hunt, the investigating officer, contacted the former student, who was 15 at the time the messages were sent. She confirmed the messages were sent by Lasack, her former teacher, in 2014. She had screenshots of the conversation and sent them to police.

When the matter was first investigated in 2018, Lasack said he was “shocked,” had no knowledge of the conversation and suggested his ex-wife had created the messages, according to the complaint.

Lasack's ex-wife told police she was aware of the 2018 report, but she didn’t know Lasack had implicated her as possibly sending the messages, which she denied. She stated the Lasack marriage was “essentially normal” in 2014, and things began to deteriorate in late 2017.

Lasack’s ex-wife provided police with Facebook posts that showed she was out of state when the messages were sent in 2014 and that Lasack hadn’t been with her.

A search warrant was obtained for Lasack's Facebook account, but nearly all the messages had been deleted, according to the complaint.

When Anamosa police interviewed Lasack on July 17, he denied knowing the girl in the Facebook conversation.

Hunt, during the interview, told Lasack he had additional information and asked him if he knew the student — giving him her name. Lasack said he had been teaching for 25 years and had a "million thousand names in his brain.”

Lasack told police he was happy to talk about it but thought he needed his lawyer to be present.

No bail

Lasack was charged last week with sexual exploitation of a minor — cause to engage in an act, a Class C felony, and released without bail. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

Assistant Jones County Attorney Sara Smith, in a motion filed Wednesday, said the prosecution doesn’t think releasing Lasack without any conditions is appropriate and requested a judge place him under pretrial supervision with the 6th Judicial Department of Correctional Services.

As of Thursday, the court had not responded to the prosecutor’s request.

Anamosa Community School District Superintendent Darren Hanna said in a statement that “the employee is currently on administrative leave and will not be on school property or around students. District administration at all times, both previously and currently, followed all District policies and procedures concerning this matter based on information known at the time, including notifying law enforcement.”

“The District has been and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation,” Hanna said. “... As always, the safety and well-being of students is our top priority.”

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