Ohio man faces federal child-exploitation charges in death of Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee

Trigger Warning – Contains Disturbing Details

Written from press release and court documents

COLUMBUS, Ohio — February 10, 2026

A Columbus man arrested last month in connection with the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee of Indiana is now facing federal child-exploitation charges, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said the federal charges “do not signal the end of the investigation,” and that prosecutors and law enforcement partners continue to review evidence. FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie said investigators are “committed to holding accountable anyone involved in the crimes.”

According to the complaint, Thomas allegedly met Buzbee online while playing video games including Roblox and League of Legends, and communicated with her on Discord. During a Jan. 21 interview at Columbus police headquarters, the complaint says Thomas told investigators he had known the teen for more than a year and initially believed she was 18, but later learned she was still months away from turning 18.

Investigators allege Thomas drove from Columbus to Fortville, Indiana, during the overnight hours of Jan. 5 to Jan. 6 to pick up the teen, then returned to Ohio with the intent to engage in sexual activity, including the production of child pornography.

Tyler Thomas, 39, is charged in federal court with sexually exploiting a minor and traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. If convicted as charged, he faces up to 30 years in prison on each count, federal prosecutors said.

Cellphone evidence described in the complaint indicates Thomas traveled to an Airbnb on Walnut Dowler in Logan, Ohio, on Jan. 6 and, the next morning, traveled near the North Country Trail trailhead in Wayne National Forest, where Buzbee’s remains were later located.

Investigators wrote that a forensic review of Thomas’s phone revealed deleted communications and evidence of efforts to conceal activity. The complaint says Snapchat and other apps were previously installed inside Samsung’s “Secure Folder” and later removed, while investigators recovered cached artifacts indicating communications with the teen.

The complaint says that after Thomas’s residence on Hunter Avenue was searched, Columbus police located a black 2014 Acura RDX backed into a detached garage. Police later obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and collected evidence, including DNA swabs, the filing states. The complaint also describes cached turn-by-turn navigation audio files with timestamps early Jan. 6 that reference Interstate 70 exits in Indiana, as well as cached map images showing “North Country Trail Trailhead” selected in Ohio.

During a subsequent search of the Logan-area Airbnb, investigators reported locating potential traces of blood throughout the residence and seizing numerous items for further analysis.

The complaint further alleges that during a second review of Thomas’s phone, agents identified cached image artifacts they say depicted sexually explicit content involving the teen, including images investigators linked to Thomas’s residence and the Logan Airbnb based on matching surroundings described in the filing. The complaint also states investigators found an image they believed to be child sexual abuse material depicting a prepubescent girl.

In addition, the filing describes a Discord conversation between Thomas and another individual claiming to be a 10th-grade student that investigators characterized as sexually explicit and violent in nature.

The complaint says Thomas was arrested on state charges in Ohio on Jan. 31, including pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and tampering with evidence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said those local charges will be dismissed and the case will proceed in federal court.

The filing also describes events on Feb. 1, when law enforcement transported Thomas to the North Country Trail trailhead. According to the complaint, Thomas, accompanied by his attorney, pointed out where the teen’s body was buried. Investigators said Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation later unearthed dismembered human remains, and Indiana authorities conducted a rapid DNA comparison that, according to the complaint, confirmed the remains were Buzbee’s.

Thomas appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon, and the criminal complaint was unsealed at that time, prosecutors said.

The investigation involves multiple agencies, including the Fishers Police Department in Indiana; Columbus police; sheriff’s offices in Hocking and Perry counties; the FBI in Indianapolis and Cincinnati; the U.S. Forest Service; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

A criminal complaint contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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