Latest news with #ScottMichaelElam
CBS News
03-08-2025
- CBS News
Western Michigan man, 43, sentenced for sexually exploiting girls
A 43-year-old Caledonia, Michigan, man has been sentenced for sexually exploiting high school girls, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan said Friday. Scott Michael Elam was sentenced by a federal judge to 30 years in prison. The attorney's office said he previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Elam allegedly admitted to selling alcohol, marijuana and vapes to "numerous minors" throughout Western Michigan. According to the attorney's office, he offered discounts to girls who made sexually explicit pictures and videos of themselves and sent them to him, or had sex with him. Federal officials said Elam admitted to exploiting 11 girls. Elam was ordered at the sentencing hearing to give up his Caledonia home, where he had sex with one of the minors and provided contraband to others. "Mr. Elam's predatory actions are reprehensible and should never be tolerated," Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Detroit office, said. "The FBI in Michigan will remain relentless in pursuing bad actors who exploit the most vulnerable among us." The attorney's office said the case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at protecting children from online exploitation and abuse. If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Caledonia man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Caledonia man has pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting minors, according to federal attorneys. Scott Michael Elam, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a Wednesday release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Michigan. He could face anywhere from 15 to 90 years in prison, attorneys say. Deputies: Caledonia man offered teens alcohol for sex According to a federal indictment, Elam recorded himself and one minor engaging in sexual acts and also persuaded minors to create pornographic images and send them to him. He was charged in Nov. 2024 with seven counts of sexually exploiting four different minors. Court documents say Elam recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with one of the minors two different times. Attorneys also say he told other victims to take explicit photos and videos and send them to him. He allegedly gave minors alcohol, marijuana, vapes and 'other contraband,' giving discounts for minors who sent sexually explicit videos to him or had sex with him, attorneys say. Caledonia man faces federal sexual exploitation charges 'Mr. Elam's abhorrent criminal acts against minors are utterly indefensible, and such behavior is not acceptable,' wrote Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. 'I am deeply grateful for the relentless dedication and tireless efforts of the men and women of the FBI in Michigan, including the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), our partners at the Kent County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the successful prosecution in the Western District of Michigan.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
