Indiana men face legal action for child exploitation cases

Two separate criminal cases involving the exploitation of children have been reported in Indiana.

Andrew Wade Case, 39, of Columbus, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in federal prison following a guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child, as well as the distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. Investigators found that Case forced a child in his care to engage in sexually explicit conduct for a video and possessed over 600 images and videos of prepubescent children. A search of his home revealed the victim was living in severely neglected conditions.

In Fort Wayne, 22-year-old Phoenix Tsuleff was arrested after an investigation by a group posing as underage girls online. Tsuleff faces Level 4 felony charges, including child solicitation and exploitation, after allegedly communicating inappropriately with a person posing as a 13-year-old. Court documents allege Tsuleff requested sexually explicit messages and photographs and discussed plans to meet the individual. If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 36 years in prison.