UPDATE (7/19/24): The man has been identified as 42-year-old Scott Elam of Caledonia. He was arraigned in Kent County's 63rd District Court on July 18 when the judge set a $500,000 bond stating that he believed Elam was a flight risk.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Kent County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday, July 18, that they have arrested a 42-year-old man from Caledonia who they say traded teen girls alcohol and vape pens in exchange for sex.

In a release, the sheriff's department says that they began investigating this case back in June when they were given a tip about a teenage girl receiving alcohol from an adult in exchange for sexual favors.

On Wednesday, June 17, officers executed a warrant at the man's home and he was arrested. Authorities believe that the aforementioned teen was not the only one the man was doing this with. In fact, they say that he may have been exchanging alcohol and vape pens for sex with teenage girls in Byron Center, Forest Hills, and Lowell.

The man is being charged with several felonies including aggravated child sexual abuse activity, aggravated distributing/promoting child sexually abusive material, using a computer to commit a crime, and capturing/distributing image of an unclothed person.

The name of the man has not been released as of the writing of this article.

The investigation is currently ongoing, and police are asking anyone who may have any additional information to contact the Kent County Sheriff's Department at 616-632-6125, or you can report anonymously via Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

The man will be arraigned on the charges Thursday, July 18.

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Gallery Credit: Maria Danise