Oregon Teacher Accused of Grooming Students Using Fake Ariana Grande and Teen Actor Accounts

The Scope of the Allegations and Court Disclosures

Court recordings obtained by FOX 12 detail the full scope of the allegations against 28-year-old Ian Imamura, who worked as a choir teacher and football coach at Central High School. Deputy District Attorney Shannon Clausen told the court during proceedings that Imamura told students he was a music producer who had worked with major industry names including Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Adele, and Lady Gaga.

According to prosecutors, Imamura used that fabricated resume to connect a 17-year-old student with a supposed teenage actor online. Prosecutors state that Imamura was secretly running that persona himself. “Law enforcement learned the defendant had connected the alleged victim and a 17-year-old actor named Walker Scobell,” Clausen told the court, noting that the real actor by that name had nothing to do with the case and that his legal team confirmed zero connection.

Files from the court indicate that a single student was sent upwards of 13,000 text messages by Imamura spanning a timeframe of approximately a year and a half. To maintain the deception, prosecutors say Imamura created a secondary fake account posing as Ariana Grande and purchased the student a secret second phone unknown to her parents. “Law enforcement learned the defendant had purchased the alleged victim a new phone, a phone that she kept secret from her parents, to communicate with the Walker persona and the Ariana Grande persona,” Clausen stated.

Digital Deception and Investigation Timeline

According to investigators, communications between the student and the fraudulent profiles transitioned into sexual territory between April and June of this year. According to prosecutors, the teen sent explicit photos and videos at the fake persona’s request. Authorities allege Imamura mailed the student a sex toy controlled remotely via a phone app, and the student later sent videos of herself using it while sharing the remote-control link with the fake account.

The scheme began unraveling on May 26 when Central School District contacted law enforcement after learning Imamura had been texting students. A district spokesperson confirmed to FOX 12 that the administration started an investigation and placed Imamura on administrative leave that same day.

Investigators discovered that once Imamura realized he was under investigation, he asked the student to delete their messages. Simultaneously, the fake “Walker” and “Ariana Grande” accounts asked her to do the same thing at the exact same time, a detail prosecutors highlighted as key evidence tying all three identities back to Imamura.

When police searched his phone on July 2, Imamura claimed to be a music producer but failed to answer basic industry questions. He refused to tell investigators if he knew the actor whose name he used, and officers found a second phone that had been wiped clean. Although Imamura had told the district during a Zoom meeting earlier that day that he was in Hawaii, law enforcement arrested him in Oregon that evening.

Legal Proceedings and Defense Arguments

At a July 14 hearing, defense attorney Chris Heywood asked the court to allow Imamura to live with family in Hawaii while the case moves forward, pointing to his lack of a criminal record and no remaining ties to Oregon. Deputy District Attorney Clausen strongly objected, arguing that Imamura’s “web of lies and deceptive behavior” demonstrated a pattern suggesting he would not return for future court dates. Measure 11 charges in Oregon carry mandatory minimum prison sentences.

Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.