Overview
- Tyler Thomas, 39, was charged in federal court with sexual exploitation of a minor and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
- Thomas appeared in federal court on Tuesday after the case was unsealed, and each federal count carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years if convicted.
- He also faces Ohio state charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and tampering with evidence, and he remains in custody on a $1.5 million bond.
- Court filings say Thomas and Hailey Buzbee communicated for more than a year via online gaming platforms and the encrypted messaging app Session, with investigators recovering deleted files and location data.
- Investigators say Thomas reserved an Airbnb in Logan, Ohio, traveled from Indiana with Buzbee on Jan. 6, and later led authorities to remains in Wayne National Forest that DNA confirmed to be hers; no homicide charges have been filed and cause and manner of death have not been released.