Long Island Community College Professor Arrested for Trying to Lure Child for Sex
A shocking case of online grooming has unfolded on Long Island, where a community college professor was arrested and charged with attempting to coerce and entice a minor. Philip Schuler, 53, an adjunct history professor at Suffolk County Community College, is facing serious allegations that he tried to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex, despite being aware she was not her real age.
According to court filings, Schuler had been chatting with the undercover FBI agent, posing as a 13-year-old girl named "Chloe," since late October. During these conversations, he made explicit comments and arranged to meet in person at Edward W. Cahill Memorial Park on January 7. However, investigators revealed that Schuler was unaware of the agent's true identity.
The case took a dramatic turn when the agent informed Schuler she couldn't find condoms, prompting him to reply, "I've got that covered." The next day, authorities arrested Schuler at the meeting spot after discovering he had rented a motel room nearby. Investigators found spermicide and gifts intended for the girl in his possession.
In a disturbing twist, Schuler reportedly told agents he was "in love" with the agent and claimed he only wanted to meet to verify her existence. His attorney has not commented on the case.
This arrest is the latest in a growing wave of online predator-hunting operations, where volunteers pose as underage girls to identify potential groomers. The Decoy Project, founded by 33-year-old Jordan Spohn, works directly with law enforcement and has helped lead to two other cases, including one in Michigan.
Spohn, an advertising professional, explained that his group uses a unique approach, where they wait for suspects to reach out after posing as underage girls online. While some critics have raised concerns about amateur sting operations putting people at risk or prioritizing internet fame over evidence gathering, Spohn's group claims to avoid these pitfalls and instead focuses on gathering concrete evidence.
The Decoy Project registered as a nonprofit in Florida in August 2025 and has been raising funds online to sustain their operations. With ongoing investigations, Spohn is confident that his group can make a positive impact in the fight against online child exploitation.
As law enforcement agencies continue to grapple with the complexities of online predator-hunting, it remains to be seen how effective such initiatives will prove to be in protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation and abuse.
A shocking case of online grooming has unfolded on Long Island, where a community college professor was arrested and charged with attempting to coerce and entice a minor. Philip Schuler, 53, an adjunct history professor at Suffolk County Community College, is facing serious allegations that he tried to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex, despite being aware she was not her real age.
According to court filings, Schuler had been chatting with the undercover FBI agent, posing as a 13-year-old girl named "Chloe," since late October. During these conversations, he made explicit comments and arranged to meet in person at Edward W. Cahill Memorial Park on January 7. However, investigators revealed that Schuler was unaware of the agent's true identity.
The case took a dramatic turn when the agent informed Schuler she couldn't find condoms, prompting him to reply, "I've got that covered." The next day, authorities arrested Schuler at the meeting spot after discovering he had rented a motel room nearby. Investigators found spermicide and gifts intended for the girl in his possession.
In a disturbing twist, Schuler reportedly told agents he was "in love" with the agent and claimed he only wanted to meet to verify her existence. His attorney has not commented on the case.
This arrest is the latest in a growing wave of online predator-hunting operations, where volunteers pose as underage girls to identify potential groomers. The Decoy Project, founded by 33-year-old Jordan Spohn, works directly with law enforcement and has helped lead to two other cases, including one in Michigan.
Spohn, an advertising professional, explained that his group uses a unique approach, where they wait for suspects to reach out after posing as underage girls online. While some critics have raised concerns about amateur sting operations putting people at risk or prioritizing internet fame over evidence gathering, Spohn's group claims to avoid these pitfalls and instead focuses on gathering concrete evidence.
The Decoy Project registered as a nonprofit in Florida in August 2025 and has been raising funds online to sustain their operations. With ongoing investigations, Spohn is confident that his group can make a positive impact in the fight against online child exploitation.
As law enforcement agencies continue to grapple with the complexities of online predator-hunting, it remains to be seen how effective such initiatives will prove to be in protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation and abuse.
I cant even believe he thought he could get away with trying to meet a minor for sex online... his excuses are so weak too, "I was in love" with the decoy agent? 
like no one is buying it. its wild how this case came together and led to him getting caught.
. using volunteers to pose as underage girls online to catch predators is a genius idea, but also super complicated. im curious though, what makes them think their way of doing it is better than just leaving the work to law enforcement? and are they really able to gather concrete evidence without putting people at risk?
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I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... I mean, a community college professor thinking he can just catfish an underage girl? It's like, no respect for boundaries whatsoever 
. And what really gets me is that he thought he was in love with the undercover agent? Like, dude, you're not fooling anyone, especially not someone who's supposed to be helping you out 
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). But honestly, I think we need to do more to help prevent kids from getting into situations like this in the first place. We need to be teaching them about online safety, consent, and healthy relationships from a young age.
. But I'm glad that Jordan Spohn and The Decoy Project are trying to make a difference. We need more people like them who are willing to take on this issue head-on 
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. It's a tough job, but I think it's so important that we need more resources and support for these kinds of initiatives. And it's also super frustrating when some critics question the effectiveness of these programs without actually knowing how they work 
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. We need to make sure that we're creating a safer online community for everyone, where people feel comfortable coming forward if they're being exploited or harassed 
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Just saw this news about some professor on Long Island who thought he could lure a 13-yr-old girl for sex online 
. These decoy ops are actually kinda genius - using real undercover agents posing as underage girls to catch predators in the act 
. The Decoy Project is doing some good work here, even if it's not without controversy 
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. It's just frustrating that we still have to deal with this stuff and that it's so hard to keep up with the bad guys 
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it's also kinda crazy to think about these decoy projects like The Decoy Project, I mean, on one hand they're trying to help catch people like Schuler, but on the other hand it raises questions about safety and effectiveness. 
And now we're wondering if he was genuinely in love with this undercover agent or just trying to get what he wanted. 
. It's just not right that someone in a position of power like a professor would take advantage of their trust like that 
, but at the same time, I worry about how they're able to gather evidence without putting themselves in harm's way 
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, we need to create safe spaces for kids to grow up and learn without being exposed to exploitation 
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, especially among our younger generations 
. We need to teach them how to be smart online and recognize red flags 
. its like they really thought they could get away with something and just got caught up in their own delusions. 
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I mean, a 53-year-old professor, adjunct or not, shouldn't be posing as a 13-year-old girl online, let alone trying to meet up with someone for sex 
The fact that he thought he was talking to an undercover agent and didn't realize it till the end is just mind-boggling 
It's a complex issue for sure, but I think we need more initiatives like this one to help keep our kids safe online 
