Mississippi Man Convicted in Louisiana Child Solicitation

COVINGTON, Louisiana — A Mississippi man has been found guilty in St. Tammany Parish after prosecutors said he attempted to solicit someone he believed was a teenage girl online.

Michael Stanley Lang, 56, of Poplarville, Mississippi, was convicted by a St. Tammany Parish jury of computer aided solicitation of a minor following a trial before Judge Richard Swartz.

According to authorities, the case began as an undercover investigation targeting online predators. Investigators said Lang engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with someone he believed was a 15 year old girl, who was actually an undercover officer.

The investigation was first launched by the Covington Police Department and later involved multiple agencies, including the Slidell Police Department, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office.

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During trial, prosecutors presented evidence they said showed a pattern of explicit communication and argued Lang knowingly attempted to entice a minor. Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and Taylor Nicholson told jurors that Lang’s own words and actions helped establish intent.

District Attorney Collin Sims said the conviction reflects the work of investigators and prosecutors focused on protecting children from online exploitation.

Lang was taken into custody after the verdict and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 8 before Judge Swartz.