WINNEMUCCA — A former officer with the Winnemucca Police Department was 6^th Judicial District Court on Monday (Feb. 6) where he admitted exchanging more than 2400 inappropriate text messages over a two week period with a femal juvenile.

Matt Haylett, 28, pleaded guilty to coercion, a category B felony, which represents a possible 1-20 years in prison but probation is also an option.  He was not charged under the sex offense statutes and will not have to register as a sex offender.

Asked to describe his crime in his own words the defendant said, “I sent inappropriate text messages to an underage female resulting in a picture on my cell phone.”

Judge Richard Wagner asked, “Did you know she was underage?”

Haylett responded, “Yes, sir.”

Wagner asked, “Did you know that was against the law?”

Haylett responded, “Yes.”

Haylett resigned from the WPD in August 2011 months after the investigation into the illegal text messages was initiated by the Nevada Department of Public Safety – Investigation Division.

The investigation began on January 10, 2011 when Officer Jeff Dawson, the Humboldt County School District Resource Officer, located text messages on the juvenile’s phone.

On January 11, 2011, Dawson received a search warrant for the phone records, to include text message records, of both Haylett and the juvenile.

The records indicate the two exchanged 2495 text messages between December 27, 2010 and January 10, 2011.

According to court documents “many of the text messages were sexual in nature, including but not limited to messages in which he (Haylett) requested inappropriate photographs of the girl and offers to come to the girl’s residence and pick her up, and that the defendant did coerce said girl into sending one clothed photograph of herself, one photograph of her partially clothed, and one photograph of the girl totally nude, and that the defendant was aware that said girl was only fifteen (15) years of age.”

A sentencing hearing was set for 10:30 a.m. April 16.

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Former WPD officer charged following lengthy investigation