KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A man from Caledonia who offered drugs, alcohol, and vapes to teen girls across West Michigan in exchange for sex will spend decades in prison.
Scott Elam was sentenced Wednesday in federal court on three charges he pleaded guilty to back in February.
The 41-year-old confessed to the crimes as part of a plea deal that waived four charges.
Elam was arrested in November 2024 after reportedly filming himself having sex with a minor twice. Federal attorneys say he instructed three others to hand over explicit images of themselves.
Investigators said they also learned Elam had offered vapes and alcohol to minors in exchange for sex or explicit photos.
He previously faced multiple felony charges in Kent County with multiple felonies. In June 2024 detectives with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force received a disturbing tip about a 17-year-old girl being abused.
The tip alleged a man was having sex with a 17-year-old girl in exchange for giving her alcohol.
Through the course of their investigation into the alleged criminal relationship, investigators say they discovered evidence of other crimes against students from several area school districts, including Forest Hills, Lowell, Caledonia and Byron Center.
Investigators say Elam had been communicating with a number of teenage girls, offering them vape pens and alcohol in exchange for sending him illicit photos, or having sex with him.
The state-level charges were dropped when federal prosecutors approved criminal counts against Elam.
He will now spend 30 years in federal prison, with an additional 7 years of supervised release.
