Man gets life for sexually abusing 10-year-old during Destin family vacation

People reports that Justin Andrew Busby was sentenced to life in prison after a jury on Jan. 13 found him guilty of sexual battery of a victim under 12; the conviction also designated him a sexual predator.

Florida State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden said in a news release that Busby, who was over 18 at the time, was "a trusted family member" to the 10-year-old and that the abuse occurred during a family vacation in Destin, Florida, between December 27, 2022, and January 3, 2023. The victim did not initially disclose the abuse but later spontaneously told her parents after returning to Mississippi and also alleged abuse in George County, Mississippi, according to WDAM. George County Assistant District Attorney George Huffman told WDAM an 8-year-old also accused Busby; local Mississippi law enforcement, including the Lucedale Police Department, investigated and Busby was arrested in May 2023.

The news release said Busby did not deny the allegations but "minimized his actions." Huffman told WDAM a George County grand jury later indicted Busby on one count of sexual battery of a victim under 14 and two counts of lustful touching of a minor. Following the Florida conviction, Huffman said Busby's Jan. 20 status conference in George County will be reset; he has the ability to appeal the Florida conviction, and the victims' families may choose whether to pursue a trial in Mississippi.

Key Topics

World, Justin Andrew Busby, Destin, George County, Mississippi, Sexual Battery