Police arrested an Indianapolis man accused of using donations from his nonprofit to pay for sex acts and solicit a minor, according to court documents.
Tyree Coleman, 43, is the founder of Refuge Place Indy, which uses donations to assist homeless people in Indianapolis, according to court records. He is commonly known as Elder Coleman. Court records also connected him to Seven Pillars Faith Ministry/Refuge, but police said they could find no physical location for the organization.
Coleman is facing charges of rape, promotion of child sex trafficking, promotion of human sex trafficking and two counts of intimidation.
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Coleman met the man he is accused of raping through his organization assisting homeless people, according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest.
An attorney for Coleman was not yet listed in online court records. The phone number for his organization went straight to voicemail when IndyStar reached out for comment Monday.
Prayers and offers of clothing, shoes
Police began investigating Coleman in June 2022. Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, told police they were near Watkins Park when they saw Coleman and a group of men grilling and listening to music under a shelter.
The group waved the teens over. Coleman told the teens he was the elder of a local ministry, asked if they could pray together and said he wanted to buy them clothes and shoes, the teens told police.
After praying, Coleman and the teens exchanged phone numbers. Coleman later texted the 17-year-old boy and sent him money for new shoes. Then Coleman began occasionally praying with the teen on FaceTime.
Police arrested an Indianapolis man accused of using donations from his nonprofit to pay for sex acts and solicit a minor, according to court documents.
Tyree Coleman, 43, is the founder of Refuge Place Indy, which uses donations to assist homeless people in Indianapolis, according to court records. He is commonly known as Elder Coleman. Court records also connected him to Seven Pillars Faith Ministry/Refuge, but police said they could find no physical location for the organization.
Coleman is facing charges of rape, promotion of child sex trafficking, promotion of human sex trafficking and two counts of intimidation.
Plot thickens: Oatmeal murder case appeal points to new suspect, explores ‘gap in evidence’
Coleman met the man he is accused of raping through his organization assisting homeless people, according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest.
An attorney for Coleman was not yet listed in online court records. The phone number for his organization went straight to voicemail when IndyStar reached out for comment Monday.
Prayers and offers of clothing, shoes
Police began investigating Coleman in June 2022. Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, told police they were near Watkins Park when they saw Coleman and a group of men grilling and listening to music under a shelter.
The group waved the teens over. Coleman told the teens he was the elder of a local ministry, asked if they could pray together and said he wanted to buy them clothes and shoes, the teens told police.
After praying, Coleman and the teens exchanged phone numbers. Coleman later texted the 17-year-old boy and sent him money for new shoes. Then Coleman began occasionally praying with the teen on FaceTime.