FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Tyler Thomas, the 39-year-old man accused in the disappearance of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee.A federal criminal complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. Di strict Court for the Southern District of Ohio charges Thomas with sexual exploitation of a minor and traveling across state lines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Thomas is already charged with pandering obscenity and tampering with evidence in Ohio.The 13-page FBI affidavit provides new details about the case, including evidence that Thomas allegedly produced sexual abuse material involving Buzbee and led agents to her dismembered remains in Wayne National Forest.According to the federal complaint, Thomas drove from Columbus to Fishers on the night of January 5, picked up Buzbee around 3 a.m. on January 6, and took her to an Airbnb rental in Logan, Ohio. FBI investigators say Thomas had made the Airbnb reservation on January 4, one day before picking up the teenager.The investigation revealed Thomas and Buzbee had been communicating online for over a year through gaming platforms including Discord, Roblox, and League of Legends. Bank records show Thomas had previously traveled to Indiana in June 2025, including charges at locations near where Buzbee worked.During interviews with police, Thomas initially claimed he dropped Buzbee off on the side of a road in Ohio after she requested it. However, phone records contradicted his account, and he later admitted to investigators he would not tell them if he had killed her.The federal affidavit details how investigators tracked Thomas through license plate readers, cell phone data, and forensic evidence from his devices. FBI analysis of Thomas's phone revealed deleted images and videos that investigators say show sexual abuse of Buzbee at both Thomas's Columbus residence and the Logan Airbnb.On February 1, Thomas led authorities to Buzbee's buried remains in Wayne National Forest after being charged in state court. DNA testing confirmed the dismembered body was Buzbee.The FBI affidavit also reveals Thomas engaged in disturbing conversations with other minors online, including graphic discussions about violence and sexual abuse with a teenager he knew was in 10th grade.The case has prompted Indiana lawmakers to pass legislation expanding the state's Amber Alert system. House Bill 1303, which would allow law enforcement greater discretion in issuing alerts for "high-risk missing persons," passed unanimously out of a Senate committee this week.Thomas remains in custody in Ohio facing both federal and state charges. Right now, he has not been charged with murder.The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI, Fishers Police Department, Columbus Police Department, and sheriff's offices in Hocking and Perry counties, Ohio. ...read more read less