On Thursday, it was announced by U.S Attorney Mark Totten that a Caledonia man now faces federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of several minors.
41-year-old Scott Elam has been charged with the sexual exploitation of four different minors. According to court documents, Elam recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on two different occasions and directed the other victims to take explicit photos and videos of themselves before sending them to him.
If convicted, Elam will serve a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each separate account.
In a news release, Totten said “We are committed to protecting children from sexual exploitation and holding offenders accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “I am grateful to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI for their investigative work as we prepare to make our case.”
The Kent County Sherrif's Office are working alongside the FBI on the case, with Assistant United States Attorney Olivia Ghiselli prosecuting it.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
Federal charges were able to be issued because the images were created using a camera and cell phones that were manufactured outside of Michigan