U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker | U.S. Department of Justice
A federal grand jury has indicted Dustin Combs, a 30-year-old resident of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, on charges of sexually exploiting a minor and traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The indictment accuses Combs of repeatedly traveling to central Ohio to meet with a 13-year-old girl he encountered online.
The charges were formally presented following Combs' arrest in Pennsylvania. He appeared in federal court in Columbus for arraignment. The indictment, issued on November 8, details that over at least ten months, Combs allegedly produced child pornography involving the minor and recorded their interactions at various locations, including hotels around Columbus.
Combs is accused of making at least five trips to Ohio between July and November 2023 and again in April 2024 for the purpose of engaging in illegal activities with the victim. Under federal law, sexual exploitation of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could extend up to 30 years in prison. Similarly, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor also holds a potential penalty of up to 30 years imprisonment.
The announcement of these charges was made by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski will be prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment contains allegations only, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
