93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
A well-known former Mississippi newspaper publisher is heading to federal prison for 16 years after pleading guilty to traveling to Columbia and renting a room at a local hotel, where he had illicit sexual activity with a 16-year-old victim.
U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes sentenced 49-year-old Zachary Wes Buckley on Monday afternoon in Jefferson City. There is no parole in the federal prison system, which means Buckley won’t be released from prison until he is 65.
Federal prosecutors say Buckley lured the 16-year-old victim to the Columbia-area hotel. Buckley pleaded guilty in November to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity. Authorities say Buckley began communicating with the teen victim in an online chat room in January 2023 and that it then moved to something called GoogleChat. The FBI, federal prosecutors, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and Mississippi authorities have been involved in the investigation.
The “Laurel Leader-Call” newspaper in Mississippi reports Buckley’s arrest shocked many in the community who knew him as a third-generation businessman and as someone who was involved in church and civic organizations. The “Laurel Leader-Call” reports Buckley often covered local school and youth sporting events in Mississippi. The newspaper reports Buckley was arrested by Louisiana State Police near Shreveport.
Federal prosecutors say the Jasper County, Mississippi Sheriff’s department assisted Boone County authorities in the investigation.
