Buchheit enters plea prior to trial

With literally minutes to go before jury selection began in the trial of a Netawaka resident charged with a number of sex crimes involving a child, both sides of the case accepted a plea deal, according to Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller.

Scott James Buchheit, 36, pleaded no contest to one count of rape in connection with a series of alleged incidents with a girl, now 17, between August of 2008 and January of 2015 shortly before a three-day trial was set to begin on Tuesday morning.

The plea deal — in which 10 other charges against Buchheit were dismissed — negated the need for a trial at the last minute, Miller said. As a result, sentencing for Buchheit has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, March 11 in Jackson County District Court.

Miller said that depending on Buchheit’s criminal history, the sentencing range for the rape charge, a level 1 person felony, would be anywhere betwee 147 months (12 years, three months) and 653 months (54 years, five months). She estimated that Buchheit would likely receive a sentence of 17 to 19 years, less time already served.

Buchheit had been charged with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, five counts of rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and one count each of indecent solicitation of a child and theft. The sex-related charges against Buchheit reportedly involved a girl identified in court as his stepdaughter.