COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) — A Columbia County man has been sentenced to federal prison for creating and possessing images of child pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg’s Office, 39-year-old Michael Benjamin Buckner was sentenced to 15 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to attempted production of child pornography. Buckner was also fined $3,500, ordered to register as a sex offender, and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completing his term in prison. He is not eligible for parole.
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Grovetown Department of Public Safety arrested Buckner and his wife, 37-year-old Amber Buckner, in October 2021 on a state charge of cruelty to children after they were alerted by officers from the Columbia County Board of Education Police.
In a subsequent search of the contents of Michael Buckner’s cell phone, investigators and FBI agents discovered photos depicting sexually explicit images of children.
In addition to his federal sentence, Michael Buckner also faces state prosecution for cruelty to children. Amber Buckner is serving a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in December 2022 to a state charge of cruelty to children.
