A federal grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania resident, Dustin Combs, for allegedly sexually exploiting a minor and traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The indictment alleges that Combs, 30, from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, traveled multiple times to central Ohio to engage in sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl he met online.
Combs was apprehended in Pennsylvania and faced arraignment in Columbus federal court. The indictment accuses him of producing child pornography involving the minor over at least ten months and filming their interactions at various locations, including hotels around Columbus.
The charges specify that Combs visited Ohio on at least five occasions between July 2023 and April 2024 for illegal activities with the victim. If convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to 30 years imprisonment. Traveling with intent to commit illicit sexual conduct carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years.
The charges were announced by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment contains allegations only, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.