An Okaloosa County jury has found Justin Andrew Busby guilty of sexually battering a child under the age of 12, resulting in a life sentence in state prison and his designation as a sexual predator.

On January 13, 2026, Circuit Judge David Oberliesen sentenced Busby to life behind bars following the jury’s verdict in an Okaloosa County courtroom.

According to prosecutors, the abuse occurred between December 27, 2022, and January 3, 2023, while the then 10-year-old victim was on vacation in Destin. Authorities said the defendant was a trusted family member at the time of the incidents.

The child did not immediately disclose what had happened. After returning home to Lucedale, she later made a spontaneous disclosure to her parents. That disclosure prompted an investigation involving the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Lucedale Police Department, and the Canopy House Child Advocacy Center.

The Lucedale investigation was led by Captain Jason Smith. During the course of the investigation, authorities said Busby minimized his conduct but did not deny the allegations made by the child.

Assistant State Attorney Christine Bosau prosecuted the case on behalf of Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for Florida’s First Judicial Circuit.

With the life sentence imposed, Busby will remain in state custody for the remainder of his natural life.