A former Cook County resident, James Andrew Buckner, has accepted a plea deal for charges of child exploitation and molestation.

Release:

The Office of the District Attorney for the Alapaha Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce the resolution of the above styled matter by way of a plea immediately before selection of jury for jury trial in the Superior Court of Cook County. The plea occurred on February 15, 2022, resulting in defendant James Andrew Buckner being convicted of the offenses of two counts of child molestation, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of aggravated child molestation. This guilty plea resulted in Judge Clayton Tomlinson sentencing the defendant to 60 years with the first 22 years to be served in prison.
The actions of Buckner which lead to this disposition are as follows: Warrants indicate that Buckner committed an act of sodomy against a child under the age of 16 at a Sparks, Georgia, address. Warrants also indicate that Buckner committed an act of child molestation for fondling a child under the age of 16 at a Sparks, Georgia, address. Buckner also took lewd photographs of a third child under the age of 16 and was in possession of obscene photographs of one of the victims.

District Attorney Chase Studstill stated that “this resolution would not have been possible were it not for the efforts of the Chief Bob Myers and the Sparks Police Department; Sheriff Doug Hanks and the law enforcement officers with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; and the amazing work done by the Children’s Advocacy Center. I would also like to thank everyone in my office and in particular, lead prosecutor Jennifer Smith for her efforts in bringing justice to the children. As stated before, it is the goal of my office as well as Chief Myers and Sheriff Hanks to protect the children of Cook County.”
If you have questions or concerns regarding this matter, please contact me either via telephone or email as provided below.

Very Respectfully,
/s/ J. Allen Lawson
J. Allen Lawson
Chief Assistant District Attorney
Alapaha Judicial Circuit