Former Rohnert Park police officer sentenced on sex charges with teens

A former Rohnert Park public safety officer was sentenced to 180 days in Sonoma County Jail on Wednesday for sending lewd texts to one underage girl and requesting sex from another.

Garrett Piland, 33, of Santa Rosa, pleaded no contest to attempting to have sex with a minor - a felony - and sending harmful matter to a minor, a misdemeanor. Piland left his position with Rohnert Park on March 9 after working there four years.

The two 17-year-old victims were members of the “Explorer” program at Rancho Cotate High School. The program is designed for people ages 15 to 21 who are considering a career in public safety. Piland was not involved in overseeing the program, said the District Attorney’s Office in a statement.

Piland met one of the teens at a Christmas toy drive in December 2015, according to statements made to the court by detectives with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, who handled the investigation. He carried on a correspondence with the teen for nearly a year, asking her to meet with him for sex, until she contacted Rohnert Park public safety about his texts in October 2016.

-Nick Rahaim