A Reno man convicted last month of child sex-related charges will spend at least four years in prison.
The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says 32-year-old Phillip Laub was given an aggregate 11 years in prison after being convicted of Attempting to Use or Permit a Minor to be Subject in a Sexual Portrayal, Attempt Abuse or Neglect Involving Sexual Exploitation, and Soliciting a Child for Prostitution.
Authorities say Laub was arrested in 2021 following an ongoing exchange with an undercover Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit detective, who he believed was a 16-year-old girl.
Over the course of their conversation, prosecutors say Laub initiated a meeting with the detective, again believing it to be a minor, to pay for sex.
He will be eligible for parole after 4 years.
MARCH 5, 2024:
The Washoe County District Attorney's Office has announced the conviction of a man in a child sexual exploitation case.
32-year-old Phillip Laub was found guilty of attempt to use or permit a minor to be subject in a sexual portrayal, attempt abuse or neglect involving sexual exploitation, and soliciting a child for prostitution.
In August of 2020, Laub messaged an undercover detective with the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit according to a press release from the District Attorney's office.
Laub was told he was messaging with a 16-year-old girl.
Throughout the investigation, Laub messaged the detective more than 12,000 times across several different phone numbers and email addresses.
Those messages grew increasingly explicit, and Laub made several statements about wanting to pay for sex, despite thinking he was speaking with a minor.
Several meetups were arranged between Laub and the undercover detective, yet Laub did not follow through.
In addition, the detective, whom Laub believed was a child, would repeatedly stop responding to his messages, and he would reinitiate the conversation days, weeks, and sometimes months later according to the release.
In December of 2021, Laub messaged the detective saying he would be coming through town. He planned to meet up and pay for sex.
While being taken into custody, Laub made several comments along the lines of “I’m sorry,” and that he believed the person he was speaking with was 16.
His sentencing is set for April 3rd.
