Shadyside Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Minor for Sex
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 25, 2011 |
COLUMBUS—Barry L. Youst, 55, of Shadyside, Ohio pleaded guilty here today to one count of transportation of an individual for purposes of unlawful sexual activity, after crossing state lines between Ohio and West Virginia to meet a 15-year-old girl.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Fred A. Thompson, Belmont County Sheriff, announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
According to the statement of facts filed in court, the mother of the 15-year-old juvenile drove the child from Cadiz, Ohio in July 2010, across the state line to Dallas Pike truck stop in West Virginia, where they met Youst. The mother allowed Youst to drive off with the juvenile to a secluded parking area, where Youst fondled the child. After the incident, Youst paid the mother an undisclosed amount of cash, who in turn gave the child $20.00.
The child’s mother, Robin Newell, was also charged with one count of transportation of an individual for purposes of unlawful sexual activity and was sentenced in June 2011 to 36 months’ imprisonment. She admitted to officers that she had been fueling her drug habit by selling sex to Youst on numerous occasions and that she had taken her child along with her to Dallas Pike, WV sometime in July 2010 to meet withYoust. Newell must register as a sex offender upon her release from prison and must serve five years on supervised release.
Ohio law prohibits an adult from having sexual contact with a child under 16 years of age, when the adult is four or more years older that the child.
Youst was placed on house arrest and will be on electronic monitoring until his sentencing at a later date. He faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of five years on supervised release. Youst will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by FBI agents and Belmont County Sheriff deputies, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hunter, who is prosecuting the case.