A 21-year-old Washington man who allegedly controlled a house full of women creating adult content has been charged with human trafficking and other crimes.
Nikita Tyukalo has been accused of spearheading a scheme to recruit young women into pornography while maintaining control over their finances and access to shelter. He has been charged with four counts of second-degree human trafficking, money laundering, and leading organized crime, according to Fox 13 Seattle.
Tyukalo is currently being held on a $5 million bail.
Police said that the women they interviewed who worked at the property gave consistent accounts of exploitation and "physical violence and abuse" at the hands of three young men, including the suspect.
Last week, Bellevue SWAT unit stormed what some of its occupants called the "OnlyFans House” and arrested Tyukalo. The property has no official connection to the OnlyFans company.
Investigators say in addition to providing a residence for the models, the mansion also served as a production hub for the explicit content produced at the house. During their investigation, police learned that four other properties in Bellevue and Renton may have been involved in the alleged sex trafficking operation.
The women interviewed by police claim that they would be forced to stream for long hours, were given little in payment, and could not access their own social media and OnlyFans accounts. They further claimed they were pressured to produce increasingly explicit content and were pressured to take Adderall to keep them active.
One woman told police that she had been slapped and dragged around by her hair and had been humiliated and threatened with guns.
Another claimed that one of the men in the house, upon hearing she was struggling with suicidal thoughts, handed her a loaded gun and told her to "do it."
According to prosecutors, Tyukalo has a criminal record that includes a previous domestic violence case.
During their raid of the mansion, police seized more than 300 cell phones, more than 50 laptops, financial documents, cashier's checks, business records, a whiteboard laying out the group's "content plan" and more than 30 sex toys. Two luxury cars were also seized and impounded.
According to investigators, the occupants of the house threw massive parties that attracted hundreds of people to the neighborhood. The parties were advertised on social media and charged a ticket price for entry. The parties reportedly had many guests who were under the age of 18. Police reportedly received more than 100 emergency response calls related to the gatherings.
Police responded to calls reporting underage drinking, as well as complaints that party-goers were fighting, carrying weapons, or were driving recklessly or while under the influence.
Tyukalo has been barred from accessing social media accounts or contacting any of the victims or witnesses connected to his case. A judge ordered he be held in King County Jail on a $5 million bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 10.
The two other men mentioned by the victims have not been charged at this time. Bellevue police told Fox 13 that additional arrests and charges are likely.
The Independent has requested comment from OnlyFans. In a statement to Fox 13 Seattle, OnlyFans said its platform is meant for creators who are 18 years or older, and that the company has a robust onboarding process that requires more than nine pieces of identification to verfiy participants.
