Local man charged with sexual exploitation of children

A Lamar County man is out of jail on bond after his arrest Jan. 15 which stemmed from a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The GBI then passed the tip on to Lamar investigators. The investigation began after 10 videos were intercepted which allegedly showed prepubescent male minors engaging in sexual acts with adult males.

IP address tracing led to the home of home Steven Craig McElmurray, 48, at 220 Fox Crossing Dr. Lamar investigators and GBI agents executed a search warrant at the home Jan. 15. McElmurray’s girlfriend turned over her cell phone, a laptop and a disconnected phone.

McElmurray first said he had pawned his phone that morning. A check at the pawn shop refuted that claim. He then said he had thrown the phone in a lake in Griffin at the girlfriend’s behest. She refuted that story, noting McElmurray had been on the phone since they returned from Griffin. She also told them McElmurray is a cocaine addict.

McElmurray was cuffed. As he was being led to a patrol unit, he admitted the phone was in the house. Investigators located it wrapped in a blanket in a closet. The GBI team downloaded its contents onsite.

Investigators asked the girlfriend about any medication McElmurray might need while in jail. As they were going through the kitchen cabinet where the medications were, a bottle with McElmurray’s name on it was found to contain cocaine.

McElmurray was charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of cocaine. He spent 15 days in jail before being released on a $58,000 bond.