Coatesville man sentenced for child seduction

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A Coatesville man was given a suspended sentence in Putnam County Circuit Court Monday on a Class D felony charge of child seduction.

Roy K. Buchanan, 68, will spend 18 months on probation. Buchanan and his lawyer, Darrell Felling, requested that the charge be reduced to a Class A misdemeanor. Judge Matthew Headley denied the request, at least for the time being.

Headley also ordered Buchanan to do 24 hours of community service, go to counseling and complete a sex offender treatment program.

"When you have completed treatment, you may earn a misdemeanor conviction," Headley said. "I'll look at it again at that time, but I'm not going to set a specific date. But you have no priors in 68 years of life, and that should be noted."

Under the terms of a plea agreement, two additional charges of Class D felony child seduction were dropped in exchange for Buchanan's guilty plea to one charge.

Headley could have sentenced Buchanan to up to three years in prison.

Buchanan was arrested in August. He spent two days in jail before posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond.

According to an affidavit of probable cause prepared by Indiana State Police Detective Deanna Jones, Jones was contacted on July 14 about a 17-year-old female who had told a counselor at a camp she was attending that she had been raped on more than one occasion. The minor identified Buchanan as her molester, court documents said.

The victim alleged that Buchanan raped her about 10 times, beginning in October 2007. She told authorities that she protested every time.

Buchanan has maintained that the sex was consensual.

Putnam County Probation officer Teresa Parrish told Headley she wouldn't recommend downgrading Buchanan's charge to a misdemeanor because, in her estimation, he didn't "show much remorse."

"The way it came off to me was that he felt he was lured into this situation by a promiscuous teenager," Parrish said.

Buchanan said he was "under a lot of stress" when he signed his confession, and that it didn't come across as he had intended it to.

"I've never been accused of anything like this," he said. "It wasn't that I didn't have any remorse … I wrote it wrong."

Parrish recommended that Buchanan be placed on probation and complete a sex offender treatment program.

Felling pointed out that his client had no prior criminal history, and asked Parrish if downgrading charges was something she often recommended in such a case.

"In this kind of offense, no," she said. "I'm not saying at a later time we wouldn't look at it."

Buchanan works as a truck driver. He told Headley a felony conviction could affect his livelihood, as it may prevent him from driving in and out of certain ports and hauling hazardous materials.

"That's the only reason I'm asking for a misdemeanor," Buchanan said. "Because of my job."

Felling said Buchanan's victim wrote Buchanan a letter after his arrest, saying she still loved and appreciated him. The victim was kept in the loop as the plea agreement was reached, and had no objection to Buchanan not serving any jail time, Felling said.

Before his sentence was handed down, Buchanan promised Headley he would never see him in his court again.

"This is something I really regret," Buchanan said. "It will never happen again. This has already cost me … I just hope that I can get on with my life."

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  • Good thing that he didn't steal any money. If he did he would have would have actually got some jail time. If he completes treatment it may be reduced to a misdemeanor? So in Putnam county you can rape a person under 18 and get probation? This ought to attract desirable people to Putnam county..

    -- Posted by calcans1 on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 8:14 AM
  • The elected officials in this county are really surprising me here lately. First we table a discussion to impose a tax on the whole county for an individual business. Now we are handing out probation for sex offenders? Anyone else smell a problem here? He should be given the maximum sentence for the crime, which is not nearly enough. A Smith & Wesson treatment program is not enough for this kind of crime, in my opinion.

    -- Posted by JustinH on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 11:07 AM
  • How many other people has he raped in the past while driving his truck. This article made me a little sick, but not surprised of the sentence.

    -- Posted by concerned3 on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 12:08 PM
  • Anyone else think it is strange that this 17-year-old reported being raped, but also wrote a later of her raper saying she still loved and appreciated him???

    -- Posted by bbridgeresident on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 12:50 PM
  • I wonder if he kept the letter she wrote? Hmmmm....

    -- Posted by MsBehaving on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 1:17 PM
  • This sounds like the old man STOPPED giving! maybe we shouldn't always judge people!! we pay officals to do that...

    -- Posted by formerlyfromgreencastle on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 2:07 PM
  • what the.......? maybe i should start a crime spree....i have no charges to date...probation for bank robbery, kidnapping, sex offenses, and etc.....this county's legal system is a joke! the ole who you know comes into play!

    oh by the way i'm not considering stealing, now that might get you a little time!

    just being fecessious (i know it's mispelled look into the word and you will see the ironery) ha, i'm trying to prove a point, start punishing all crimes, not the ones that have certain people involved.

    -- Posted by gottokno on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 2:57 PM
  • This is just wonderful. I am so glad that since he has never had a prior that its ok to give him a slap on the wrist. God only knows how many times he has done something to a child and not gotten caught. This is sad and sicking.

    -- Posted by public concern on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 6:20 PM
  • I didn't think it would take long for the BG to delete your comment Umad. They appear to censor opinions that do not mirror their own.

    I think it is standard procedure that the probation officer does make a recommendation to the judge.

    And regarding this particular case...a 68 year old man having sex with a 17 year old girl is disgusting! "Consensual" or otherwise! I am not a legal eagle...but I am disappointed that this was reduced to a misdemeanor. Why not re-write the lawbook to your liking?

    -- Posted by ExHoosier on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 7:27 PM
    Response by Banner Graphic:
    The charge was not reduced. The judge said he would consider it in the future.
  • Thanks for the clarification. And thanks for deleting my comment on the New Year's Baby article. Your job must be a 24 hr a day job.

    -- Posted by ExHoosier on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 9:12 PM
  • To depauw2012....He had a job before this came to light and he still managed to "track" down at least one underage female.And becoming a burden on the system? I would much rather pay for his jail time then have him out and around my daughters and granddaughters. As far as the expense I just had 700 billion dollars given away with absolutely no accountability.

    -- Posted by calcans1 on Tue, Jan 13, 2009, at 10:18 PM
  • Depauw2012, you've got to be kidding. 'he can keep his job and not become another burden on the syste, and keeping him busy with work should help keep him from tacking down underage women." I'd rather him be a burden on my tax money than have him "hunting" down underage GIRLS, not women. And you're serious if you think him keeping his job will keep him from going out and trolling for another young "GIRL". You must be confused. If not, your way of thinking is SICK!!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by whodouthinkur on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 7:30 AM
  • This is the first time I agree with anything depauw2012 has said. At this mans age, no criminal history and the girl is 17 years old -"still in love and appreciated him", it would be a waste of tax payers monies putting him in jail for a period of time. Girls are having sex and getting pregnant at 15 these days. Why aren't we going after the men/boys who are the fathers of these baby' and charging them with child seduction? Rape charges was a better way to go and hope he did learn a lesson with all he has gone through.

    -- Posted by mad-mom on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 10:29 AM
  • Hi folks. I am the victim that was raped by Roy Buchanan. Contrary to what his attorney stated, I NEVER wrote a letter to Roy Buchanan telling him that I "loved and appreciated him". The thought of him made me sick each and every day. I had already been molested for multiple years before moving into the home that he lived in with my grandmother. He knew of my situation and blackmailed me for almost a year in order to rape me over and over again. It was also much more than 10 times. I just now discovered this article and it only brings more anger and disgust to me...makes me literally sick to my stomach. I will not ever believe that I was the only victim of this man's sick ways. I regret the decision to run from the problem at that time and allow him to avoid jail time. Unfortunately, that is a decision that I must live with. Thank you for the ones who have made comments of support for the situation that not only I, but many other girls, have faced.

    -- Posted by bookwormaah on Tue, Oct 15, 2013, at 11:42 PM
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