A former Columbia Heights middle school teacher and football coach has admitted to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy who had been one of his students and recording the acts on cellphone video.

Daniel R. Laskowski, 32, of Maple Grove, pleaded guilty in Hennepin County District Court last week to third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The plea deal calls for a sentence of 4â…“ years to be stayed and any jail time to be capped at one year. Laskowski remains jailed in lieu of $300,000 bail ahead of sentencing scheduled for June 21.

Laskowski resigned in November 2017 under fire from the school district, where he taught social studies at Columbia Academy.

The findings of a state licensing board investigation, which led to his license being revoked, cited a district inquiry into Laskowski's questionable text messaging with a former student and having the student at his home for a full day.

According to the criminal complaint and other court records:

The boy told police that Laskowski was his sixth-grade teacher and coached his middle school football team when he was in seventh and eighth grades. They stayed in contact until fall 2017, when his mother determined her son was at Laskowski's home and drinking alcohol.

In June 2018, Laskowski reconnected with the boy on Snapchat, and they resumed meeting at the former teacher's home, where the teen was given marijuana or alcohol or both.

At one point, Laskowski told the boy they could make $250,000 and split it if they made a pornographic video. Laskowski recorded himself performing oral sex on the boy.

The supposed sale didn't go through, Laskowski explained to the boy, because of music in the background. He then persuaded the boy, around the time of his 16th birthday, to repeat the act and record it.

Again, Laskowski said, the supposed deal failed to materialize. In January, Laskowski proposed making a third video. At that point, the boy and his mother contacted police.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482