Publisher sentenced for sex crimes weeks before historic Mississippi newspapers went under
The publisher of two historic newspapers that went out of business last week was sentenced to prison just weeks before for receiving convictions for sex crimes involving a minor.
Zachary Wes Buckley, the son of the owners of the newspaper company, was arrested in November of 2023.
What was publisher sentenced for?
In April, Buckley, 49, was sentenced in federal court for luring a 16-year-old victim in Missouri to meet him at a hotel for illicit sexual activity. Buckley pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Buckley and the child victim began communicating in an online chat room in January 2023 then moved their conversations to GoogleChat, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The chats, which included sexually explicit conversations, photos and videocams, led to plans to meet in person. Buckley traveled to Columbia (Mo.) 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, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.
Buckley had been the publisher of two century-old weekly newspapers in Mississippi that closed their doors last week.
Historic Mississippi newspapers shut down
The Jasper County News and the Smith County Reformer, owned by Buckley Newspapers Inc., closed for financial reasons. The company also owned a publication called Impact, which was also shuttered.
The company also was forced to lay off 11 full-time employees.
"I'm just kind of taking it day by day," Kevan Lindsey, former general manager for Buckley Newspapers, told the Clarion Ledger on Monday. "I got a call from our H.R. that we weren't projected to make payroll. I went and talked to our company lawyer and he advised that we close immediately."
According the Lindsey, the Smith County paper was originally established in 1897 while Jasper County paper dated as far back as 1891 under a couple of different titles.
Were the sentencing and closings related?
When contacted Tuesday, Lindsey said by text the arrest and sentencing had nothing to do with the closing of the newspapers.
"He had stepped down months before," Lindsey said. "It was not this issue."
More details
Buckley Newspapers Inc., was formed in 1967 by Frank Buckley and his son, Ronnie. Frank Buckley, an attorney and college professor, was inducted into the Mississippi Press Association Hall of Fame for his contributions to journalism in Mississippi prior to his death in 1998. Ronnie Buckley passed away in December 2022, and his wife, Carolyn Buckley was acting president.
New businesses slated for Madison: New businesses announced for Village at Madison. See what they are
Sold: Mississippi Business Journal sold. See who bought it
However, Zachary Wes Buckley had been acting as publisher as his mother had been suffering from cancer.
Zachary Wes Buckley was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 16 years in federal prison without parole.
According to records, Buckley pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, 2023, 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," a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office announced.
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.
Lindsey said when he came on board in 2020, the newspaper group was already as much as $700,000 in debt.
He also said two of the three publications were profitable in 2022 and 2023, but it wasn't enough to close the financial gap.
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi newspaper publisher sentenced for sex crimes before Jasper County News, Smith County Reformer closed
