Oregon Teacher Accused of Impersonating Celebrities to Lure Students into Sexual Acts
Authorities allege Ian Imamura used fabricated connections to Ariana Grande and Walker Scobell to coerce students.
An Oregon teacher is accused of fabricating connections to celebrities like Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa, and impersonating teen actor Walker Scobell, to manipulate students into secret sexual relationships.
Ian Imamura, 28, a choir teacher and football coach at Central High School in Independence, allegedly boasted to students about having a Grammy award and famous musicians and actors on speed dial. Prosecutors claim he used these false pretenses to engage in heinous alleged crimes.
Authorities allege Imamura created a further deception by posing as Scobell, the lead actor in Disney+'s "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series, to trick a 17-year-old girl into sending him explicit videos and photos between April and June of this year. The girl also reportedly sent videos of herself using a remote-controlled sex toy sent by the person she believed to be Scobell. Scobell's legal team has confirmed he has no involvement in the case.
Imamura is further accused of deepening the alleged scheme by using an online account he claimed belonged to Ariana Grande. According to Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen, Imamura sent the student over 13,000 text messages over 18 months while impersonating both Scobell and Grande. He allegedly purchased a second, secret phone for the student to communicate with these personas.
When the Central School District began investigating Imamura in June after learning he had been texting students, he allegedly coached the student to delete evidence. Police arrested Imamura in Oregon after he reportedly lied to the school district, claiming to be in Hawaii.
During a search of his phone in July, Imamura could not answer basic questions about the music industry when asked about his alleged background as a music producer. He also refused to confirm if he knew Scobell. Investigators found a second phone belonging to Imamura that had been wiped clean.
Imamura's attorney requested he be allowed to live in Hawaii with his family while the case proceeds, citing his limited connections to Oregon. However, prosecutors objected, labeling him a flight risk due to his alleged "web of lies and deceptive behavior." A judge denied the request, stating that because the alleged crimes occurred online, leaving the state would not make the victim safer.
Imamura has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been placed on administrative leave from the school. He previously worked as a student teacher at Sherwood Middle School and Sherwood High School during the 2022-2023 school year, and investigators are looking into his conduct during that period.