Leicester Man, 72, Gets 12-Year Sentence for Sex Crimes Against Minor

Carl Dennis Buckner walked into Buncombe County Superior Court on Monday afternoon and walked out with a sentence of at least 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty to two felony sex offenses against a minor.

Visiting Superior Court Judge Louis Trosch sentenced Buckner, a 72-year-old Leicester resident, to 144 to 233 months of active incarceration, which works out to a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of roughly 19.4 years. He will serve that time within the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Judge Trosch also ordered Buckner to register as a sex offender for 30 years and imposed a lifetime no-contact provision between Buckner and the victim.

Buckner pleaded guilty to attempted statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and indecent liberties with a minor. The Buncombe County District Attorney's Office announced the plea and sentence on March 17, one day after the hearing.

The case began with a Buncombe County Sheriff's Office investigation in February 2025. Buckner, then 71, was arrested on Feb. 6, 2025, after confessing to the crimes. That confession, investigators noted, directly preceded his arrest.

Prosecutors stated that the victim's rights were fully complied with throughout the legal process and that the victim expressed agreement with the resolution of the case.

The guilty plea spared the case from trial, and the sentence handed down by Judge Trosch reflects the upper range of what prosecutors sought for the two counts. Buckner's 30-year registration requirement will extend well past any projected release date.