22-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Sexual Abuse of a Child

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that the Honorable Lindsay Tygart sentenced Terry Buchanan to 40 years in Florida State Prison for three counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation. Buchanan pleaded guilty to the court before trial. Buchanan’s sentence is followed by a lifetime sexual offender probation; the court has legally deemed Buchanan a sexual predator.

On February 28, 2025, officers with the Special Assault Unit interviewed Buchanan—22 years old at the time—about the crimes that were reported by a 6-year-old victim. The interview was post-Miranda and recorded. During the interview, Buchanan confessed to going into the 6-year-old’s room while her family was asleep and molesting her. The crimes were reported to law enforcement by the child’s mother after the child asked her mother to tell Buchanan to stop hurting her. During the investigation, detectives found Buchanan’s DNA on the victim’s bed sheets.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jessica Russell.