Man jailed after trying to hide teenage girl in backseat during traffic stop

MARIETTA, Ohio ( WCMH ) – A southeastern Ohio man will spend 25 years in prison for crimes related to sexually exploiting minors in Ohio and in the Philippines.

According to federal prosecutors, James Sabolick, 58, of Lower Salem in Washington County, was sentenced on two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.

In January, Sabolick pleaded guilty to the charges, which stemmed from a July 2021 traffic stop in Marietta, about 15 miles south of Lower Salem. Sabolick told officers he was alone in the car while attempting to conceal a female passenger in the backseat.

An investigation conducted by the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force revealed Sabolick had driven the minor from West Virginia to a hunting cabin near his residence.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office also discovered photographs of the child being physically and sexually abused. Court documents stated the minor was 13 or 14 years old.

Additionally, authorities discovered sexually explicit images of minors Sabolick received on his phone in 2020 for money sent to a Filipino woman. An online chat history with the woman was discovered and payments via PayPal, Western Union and MoneyGram were traced numerous times, totaling more than $1,000.

Upon his arrest, Sabolick was originally charged with pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, possession of criminal tools, and interference with custody/taking a child across state lines. In the federal complaint, he faced up to 30 years for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct, producing child pornography and possessing child pornography.

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