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A 39-year-old Columbus man previously arrested in the death of a missing teenage girl now faces federal charges alleging sexual exploitation of a minor and interstate travel for illicit sexual conduct, authorities announced Tuesday.
Tyler Thomas was initially taken into custody in January in connection with the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee, whose dismembered remains were found in Wayne National Forest.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio said the two allegedly met online while playing video games.
A federal criminal complaint accuses Thomas of traveling from Columbus to Indiana during the overnight hours of Jan. 5 to Jan. 6 to pick up Buzbee before driving her back to Ohio with the intent to “engage in illicit sexual activity, specifically the production of child pornography.”
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If convicted on the current charges, he faces up to 30 years in prison on each count.
“The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue all evidence in this case as we seek the facts about Hailey’s disappearance and death,” said FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie in a statement. “While we are deeply saddened that we cannot bring Hailey home, we are committed to holding accountable anyone involved in the crimes against her.”
Federal prosecutors said a forensic review of Thomas’ cell phone identified deleted communications between Thomas and Buzbee, including messages on Snapchat and sexually explicit images of the teen in his Columbus residence and at an Airbnb rental in Logan, Ohio.
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His cellphone also allegedly contained child sexual abuse material involving a girl believed to be between 7 and 10 years old, along with other sexual messages exchanged with another teenager on Discord.
Thomas appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon where the case was unsealed.
Local charges previously filed against him are expected to be dismissed as the case proceeds.
An obituary for Buzbee described the teenager as someone who loved music and books and cherished time spent with her family.
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“The changes we make together will be rooted in the love Hailey brought into the world during her time with us,” her dad said.
She is survived by her father, Beau Buzbee; her stepmother, Ronya Buzbee; her sister, Sabriya Buzbee; her mother, Lindsay Simmons; her brother, Elijah Ratcliff; and extended family members.
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