A Bay Springs, Mississippi, man was sentenced in federal court for luring a 16-year-old victim in Columbia, Mo., to meet him at a hotel for illicit sexual activity.
Zachary Wes Buckley, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 16 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Buckley pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Buckley admitted that he traveled to Columbia and rented a room at a local hotel, where he had sex with the child victim.
Buckley and the child victim began communicating in an online chat room in January 2023 and then moved their conversations to GoogleChat. The chats, which included sexually explicit conversations, photos, and videos, led to plans to meet in person. Buckley traveled to Columbia on Jan. 30, 2023, and met the child victim at a local park. He then drove to a Columbia hotel, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the child.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Jasper County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Department.
