Defendant Allegedly Coerced Young Girls into Sending Explicit Material Over Four Years
Content Warning: This article contains disturbing details related to child sexual exploitation and self-harm.
A man in his 50s was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of coercion and enticement, as well as one count of sexual exploitation of children in July 2025.
William Scott Elam, 53, is accused of making contact with at least 10 minor girls, aged 10 to 16, through various online platforms such as Omegle and Discord over a four-year period. He allegedly posed as a 14-year-old boy, according to a press release issued by the Justice Department following his arrest on October 5, 2023.
The investigation was initiated after a mandated reporter contacted the FBI in July 2023 regarding a possible victim, aged 12, leading to Elam’s identification.
The alleged victim informed authorities that she met Elam on Omegle, a platform that allows users to connect without prior registration.
After being matched with the defendant, she shared her Discord contact information, believing she was conversing with a 14-year-old boy.
During their exchanges on Discord, the victim reported that Elam threatened to cease communication and self-harm if she did not provide him with live sexual content via video calls, as stated in the affidavit.
Federal authorities allege that Elam specifically targeted “vulnerable” young girls who may have issues with self-harm, body image, or other social challenges. He reportedly coerced compliance from his victims by threatening to publicly share previously obtained explicit images.
In one instance, Elam allegedly created a second persona, pretending to be the cousin of his 14-year-old identity, to further manipulate the victim into sending explicit content.
Investigators discovered similar sexual communications involving at least three other minor females on Elam’s Discord account between October and December 2022. One victim was reportedly coerced into self-harming during live video sessions and performing sexual acts on camera.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II commented on the case, stating, “Predators like Elam hide behind a computer screen while preying on vulnerable children. The damage they do is real, and so is the time they’ll spend in federal prison for it.”
Elam is currently in custody at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio, awaiting transfer to federal custody.
Individuals who believe they or someone else may be a victim of child sexual exploitation can reach out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678), or visit report.cybertip.org. The FBI can also be contacted at tips.fbi.gov.
The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline — 800.656.HOPE (4673) — offers free, 24/7 support for those in need.
For immediate support, individuals can call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255, or by texting HOME to 741741. Additional resources are available at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
