Butler County Sheriff's Office
Over a 4-year span, the defendant allegedly engaged with multiple young girls, convincing them to send nudes, self-harm, and participate in sex acts on camera -- even going so far as to pose as his own fictional persona's cousin to coerce new sexual content from one girl.
Content Warning: This story contains disturbing details of child sexual exploitation and self-harm.
After pleading guilty in July 2025, a man in his 50s will spend 26 years in federal prison on 10 counts of coercion and enticement, as well as one count of sexual exploitation of children.
William Scott Elam, 53, allegedly made contact and communicated with at least 10 minor girls between the ages of 10 and 16 years old on various online apps like Omegle and Discord over a span of four years, pretending to be a 14-year-old boy, per a press release from the Justice Department after his arrest on October 5, 2023.
A mandated reporter first made contact with the FBI in July 2023 with a report of a possible 12-year-old victim, per an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint. This triggered an investigation that ultimately led federal officers to Elan.
The alleged victim told authorities that she had met Elam on Omegle, the social media platform that allows users to interact without first having to register on the platform.
The platform randomly connects people in one-on-one anonymous chats, but it was after she was paired with the defendant that the victim said she exchanged Discord contact info with what she thought was a 14-year-old boy.
After they began communicating on Discord, the victim told authorities, per the affidavit, the defendant allegedly threatened to stop communicating with her and self-harm by cutting himself if she did not send him live sexual material via video calls, per Local 12.
The government alleged that Elam intentionally sought out and targeted "vulnerable" young girls who "engage in self-harm, have body issues, or have other social issues." According to the Justice Department, per Fox 19, Elam allegedly coerced continued compliance from his victims by threatening to leak previously received naked images he had of them publicly.
In the case of this victim, the government stated in its press release that Elam allegedly went so far as to create a second persona and pretend to be his 14-year-old persona's cousin, also 14.
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View StoryThis second false persona allegedly convinced the 12-year-old victim to send new live sexual content by threatening to show "his cousin's mom" the victim's previous exchanges with the first persona.
An investigation into Elam's Discord account uncovered similar sexual exchanges and encounters with at least three other minor females between October and December 2022. One victim, per the affidavit, was allegedly instructed to self-harm on live video, as well as being coerced to perform live sex acts on camera.
"Predators like Elam hide behind a computer screen while preying on vulnerable children," said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II in his department's release. "But the damage they do is real, and so is the time they’ll spend in federal prison for it."
Elam is currently in custody with the Butler County Sheriff's Office in Ohio pending federal custody.
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.
The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline -- 800.656.HOPE (4673) -- provides free, 24/7 support for those in need.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
