Investigation Uncovers 38 Victims in Sexual Exploitation Case Against 8th Grade Football Coach: Police

On November 18, police in Celina, Texas said that they had concluded their seven-week investigation and expected to name no other suspects in their criminal investigation into former Celina Independent School District teacher and coach Caleb Elliott, 26, according to The Dallas Morning News.

"We pursued every investigative lead," Celina Police Department Chief John Cullison told reporters in a press conference Tuesday of the case that's rocked the growing community, "including those allegations we’ve heard in the community that people knew about this."

In their investigation, police said they found no evidence that anyone else knew about Elliott's alleged behavior, including allegations that he had recorded middle school boys in a locker room and forced them into sexual activities through coercion. This includes Elliott's father, longtime high school football head coach for Celina ISD, Bill Elliott.

Cullison made it clear that the younger Elliott is the only individual facing criminal charges in this case. Moore worked as a sixth grade history teacher and eighth grade football coach at Celina ISD.

Police revealed that they had uncovered digital evidence involving 38 different victims amid the course of their investigation following multiple arrests of Caleb Elliott this fall and a federal indictment last week on eight counts of sexual exploitation of children, including seven for production of child pornography and one for attempted production of child pornography.

According to Sports Illustrated, Elliott is additionally facing state charges of invasive visual recording, possession or promotion of child pornography, and sexual performance of a child.

"Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families as they continue to heal from these traumatic criminal acts, Cullison said in a written statement received by the Morning News. "We are grateful for the courage and bravery of those who came forward."

Despite multiple lawsuits involving Elliott, Cullison said that his office found no evidence to support allegations in one civil suit that Elliott was caught putting cameras into the boys' locker room during the 2024-25 school year and subsequently banned from entering.

Additionally, they found no evidence of any wrongdoing or criminal conduct by Elliott's father, despite social media allegations and lawsuit claims to the contrary, notes SI, nor any evidence that the school district had any prior awareness of any wrongdoing or criminal activity in relation to Caleb Elliott.

"We pursued every investigative lead, including those allegations we've heard in the community that people knew about this," Cullison said. "Our investigation has led to that not being a fact at this time."

In a statement released to families on Tuesday, Celina ISD wrote, "It is our understanding that based upon the evidence reviewed by their department, the CPD has confirmed that prior to October 3, 2025, Celina ISD staff had no prior knowledge of alleged criminal behavior by Caleb Elliott. CPD clearly stated they will investigate any additional evidence brought to them regarding alleged criminal actions by Caleb Elliott or other district staff. We support this statement and encourage anyone with additional information to contact CPD immediately."

Nevertheless, Bill Elliott has been on nondisciplinary paid leave since October amid the criminal investigation into his son, according to the Morning News, with the district saying his presence could interfere with that investigation, as well as additional investigations by a third-party investigator and the Texas Education Agency into the circumstances of Caleb Elliott's hiring, claims against him, and any "anysystemic issues."

The elder Elliott was involved in the hiring and supervision of his son. Moore Middle School principal Allison Ginn was also put on paid leave for the same reasons, per the district.

Among those suits are claims that the younger Elliott began a relationship with a high school senior while he was working as a substitute teacher at Celina High School during the 2022-23 school year, as well as serving as assistant coach under his father.

The lawsuit alleges that the school district became aware of the relationship, but rather than fire Caleb Elliott, he was reassigned to Moore Middle School. According to Cullison, detectives attempted to interview the student he was allegedly involved with, but their attorney declined to allow it.

"As I stated, lawyers can subpoena witnesses, and they can choose to do so. But what I can confirm is that after reviewing the forensic evidence we had available to us, law enforcement cannot substantiate any criminal activity related to that individual," Cullison told the media, per SI.

He said that if anything did happen prior to this current investigation, the Celina Police Department was never contacted. "The first day we learned of any criminal allegation, any wrongdoing, was October 3 -- the morning when two witnesses walked into our lobby," he told reporters.

Cullison also noted that while the active investigation has concluded, any new information or allegations could lead to additional charges and renewed investigation. At this time, though, police have found no evidence that anyone was victimized outside of the Moore Middle School locker room between April and October 2025.

The criminal investigation into Caleb Elliott began October 3, when he was accused by two students of recording them showering and undressing in the locker room the day before, per his arrest affidavit.

One accusation states that he confiscated one boy's bookbag and forced him to perform an activity in the nude to get it back, per NBC DFW and CBS News. "After morning football practice, Victim was in the boys' locker room at Moore Middle School," the arrest warrant reads. "Victim was in the process of showering and changing when Defendant approached him near the shower area inside the locker room. Victim stated Defendant told him he needed to perform jumping jacks in order to get his backpack back," with the warrant noting the student did.

Police obtained a search warrant for Elliott's phone and reported finding 12 images that met the legal definition for child pornography, as well as other images they described as "lewd." By October 9, he was arrested and facing charges of invasive visual recording and possession or promotion of child pornography.

He resigned his position and surrendered his teaching license in front of the school board on October 16 after Celina ISD first placed him on administrative leave following his initial arrest.

According to a timeline by Fox 4 News, Elliott was arrested a second time on November 7 and charged with a second-degree felony charge of knowingly authorizing or inducing a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexual conduct or sexual performance, based on witness accounts of alleged activities in the locker at Moore Middle School.

Five days later, on November 12, he was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on the eight child pornography charges.

Prior to his suspension, the elder Elliott spoke to parents at a community meeting about the investigation into his son, calling the allegations "horrible." He told them, per SI. "I promise you ... I want justice to be done, and justice will be done."

He went on to emphasize, "There’s one person to blame for all of this. One person that made a bad decision, a bad choice, that is in a dark place. And he will serve the justice that will be served to him."

"He will face the consequences that will come to him. He will. That’s the way it will be," he continued. "I’m not here to get him out of that. Nobody is. Not the school district -- [not] anybody. He will serve what he has to serve, and justice will prevail."

Caleb Elliott remains in the Collin County Jail on a $550,000 bond. He faces the possibility of 30 years in prison per count if convicted.

If you believe you or someone else is the victim of child sexual exploitation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers 24/7 support for those in need at  1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678), or at report.cybertip.org. You can also contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.