A man from Eugene, Oregon, has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for using social media platforms to exploit and coerce minors in Oregon, New York, and Florida. Vincent Alan Elder, 32, received a sentence of 288 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of his three victims.
Court documents show that Elder used platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram between 2022 and 2023 to communicate with three identified minors. He sent online payments to a minor victim in Florida in exchange for nude photos. In Oregon, he provided vape pens, food delivery orders, and left cash near the victim’s house to obtain similar images. When a minor victim in New York tried to end contact with him, Elder threatened to inform the victim’s mother or involve the younger sibling—a tactic known as sextortion.
In November 2023, after learning about the allegations against Elder, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants on his person, devices, and motel room. Elder was arrested on December 1, 2023. A search of his devices revealed chats with some victims, personal information belonging to the Oregon victim, and nude images of the Florida victim.
“I am thankful for the brave victims who came forward, and I am grateful to the law enforcement agencies who helped bring this dangerous predator to justice,” said United States Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “We will continue to seek significant prison sentences for anyone who targets our communities’ children.”
“Investigating crimes against children is some of the most important work we do at the FBI,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “The crimes committed in this instance were egregious, and we moved swiftly to stop the predatory behavior. Even one child subjected to such abuse is one too many, and we continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to find instances of abuse and protect our communities.”
On January 18, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Elder on seven counts including using a minor to produce sexually explicit material and possession of child pornography. On July 29, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts related to producing sexually explicit content involving minors from New York and Florida and one count of attempted coercion involving an Oregon minor.
The case was investigated by the FBI with support from Springfield Police Department and Eugene Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor; these materials document actual crimes against children and sharing them online can re-victimize those depicted.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—which coordinates resources among federal, state, and local agencies aimed at combating child sexual exploitation (more information available at www.justice.gov/psc).
Anyone with information about physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
For additional resources regarding missing or exploited children visit www.missingkids.org.
