Fort Wayne Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at Phoenix Tsuleff's residence at 8 a.m. on Tuesday before taking the 22-year-old into custody at his workplace, closing out a preliminary investigation that began with a July 24 disturbance call in the 6400 block of Cathedral Oaks Place. Tsuleff is now charged with felony child solicitation, felony child exploitation, and misdemeanor sexual grooming, and he is being held at the Allen County Jail.
According to court records cited by 21Alive, the case traces back to a volunteer decoy group that kicked off the investigation months before Tsuleff's arrest. A member of that group created a fictitious online account presenting as a 13-year-old girl, naming the account Gabby, and the member and team sent messages from that account before contacting police in July, per court records. Online records from Bikers Against Predators identify the organization, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, as the group behind the July operation involving Tsuleff, logged under its designated Catch #567.
Police described the decoy group member as the complainant, victim, and primary witness in the case, according to court records referenced by 21Alive. The same member, per that reporting, publicizes the results of identifying adults who solicit children for sexual activity on social media, but stated they are not working with the Fort Wayne Police Department or any other police agency on the operations themselves.
Detectives Built Their Own Case Before Moving In
Fort Wayne Police Department Detective Anthony Shefferly of the Crimes Against Persons Section led the official investigation that resulted in seizing several items of evidence from Tsuleff's residence, according to AroundFortWayne. While Bikers Against Predators initiated the decoy contact in July, that outlet reports that Fort Wayne detectives conducted a preliminary investigation before culminating in Tuesday's search warrant execution and workplace arrest.
Under Indiana Code § 35-42-4-6, child solicitation is classified as a Level 5 felony, according to Justia Law. The statute covers a person at least 18 years old who knowingly or intentionally solicits someone believed to be a child under 14 for sexual conduct, according to The Criminal Defense Team.
Tension Between Volunteer Groups and Police Persists
In July, members of Bikers Against Predators publicly called on Fort Wayne police and Allen County prosecutors to move faster on backlogged cases generated from civilian sting operations, according to a video reviewed by 21Alive. That frustration echoes a broader statewide pattern: reporting from WTHR describes safety and legal concerns about uncoordinated civilian stings, including issues involving evidence collection, constitutional rights, lawsuits, and mistaken identities.
The broader debate also includes the use of civilian decoy evidence in court. Bikers Against Predators' first Wells County arrest has also been documented, according to the News-Banner.
Case Lands Amid a Push for Public Trust
The Fort Wayne Police Department launched a citywide community satisfaction survey on Engage Fort Wayne on September 1, gathering resident feedback on trust, transparency, and public-safety priorities through the end of the month, according to the City of Fort Wayne. The survey gathered resident feedback on trust, transparency, and public-safety priorities.
Fort Wayne has seen a child-solicitation-related arrest. Officials caution that while civilian tips can prompt scrutiny, formal charges depend on independent police verification and evidence gathered through legal search warrants.
