Stephen Buchanan

The decoy informed Buchanan when he arrived at the sting home that she was reluctant to let him inside because he had claimed to carry a gun. After he demonstrated to the decoy that he did not possess a firearm, she offered for him to come in. Buchanan resisted going inside, only speaking to her at the entrance. He tried to convince her to get in his car to show her around Fairfield. After the decoy declined, Buchanan offered to get an umbrella and persuaded her to go for a stroll with him despite the fact that it was raining at the time. He then continued to make attempts to persuade her to see a movie. The decoy stated that her friends were at the movies and would recognize her. In a last-ditch effort, Buchanan offered to show her how to drive in an empty parking lot. Chris Hansen then made his appearance and invited Buchanan inside. Unexpectedly, he complied and went inside.

Upon sitting down, Buchanan asserted that he would show the girl the sights in Fairfield, including the shore, as well as where to go and where not to. Then, according to Buchanan, his cousin invited an older man to her home after they met online. He claimed his cousin let the man drive her around before assaulting her. Having served in the military, Buchanan claimed to dislike grown men pursuing children for sex. Buchanan claimed that he arrived to caution the girl against doing what his cousin did.

Buchanan declared that since returning from Iraq, he had changed. He insisted that he witnessed action and that it had a profound effect on him. Hansen opined that while he was aware of his difficulties, he was unable to comprehend his attempt at sexual assault on a minor. Buchanan asserted he never groomed children online for sex until he got PTSD. Buchanan claimed that all he wanted to do with "Bailey" was show her around Fairfield. Buchanan tried to prove to Hansen that he wasn't lying by showing his texts with the decoy saying to only hangout. Hansen didn't buy his lies, mentioning that he wanted her to get in the car right away after having just met. Buchanan insisted that he hadn't brought any condoms and requested to be taken to the police station. After revealing his identity, Hansen told Buchanan he could leave, and he shook Hansen's hand before entering the garage.

Buchanan acknowledged having a gun in his trunk when he was arrested. Police discovered a loaded, legally registered gun, a camera, a roll of duct tape, a knife, and a package of condoms when they searched Buchanan's car. On the way to the police station, Buchanan wept uncontrollably. Even one of the cops tried to make him feel better by rubbing his back. During his police interrogation, Buchanan acknowledged his desire to engage in sexual activity with the decoy while in the shower with her, he stated wanting to have oral and vaginal penetration. Buchanan said he refused to come in the house and only stood by the door because he was nervous. He maintained that since returning from Iraq, he has always carried a gun with him due to safety concerns. Buchanan confessed he had it in his holster, but decided to keep it in his car.

Buchanan was charged with three felonies: attempted criminal second-degree sexual assault, attempted risk of injury to a minor and attempting to entice a minor in an obscene act. He was held in lieu of a $1.1 million bond. On October 20, 2015, Buchanan was in court wearing a bright-orange prison jumpsuit. He appeared before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin and pleaded not guilty to all the felony charges. Michael A. Fitzpatrick, Buchanan's attorney, concentrated on what he called other disturbing elements of the case. He declared, "The arrest reeks of entrapment and again raises the debate on whether a sting catches a criminal or creates a criminal." In May 2016, Buchanan pleaded guilty to all three felony charges against him. When Buchanan was set to be sentenced on July 1, 2016, Judge Devlin said he would give a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Fitzpatrick requested a twelve month prison sentence from the court during sentencing. He argued that rather than prison, his client required treatment. He attempted to claim that both of the decoys his client interacted with provided the "attention" that was lacking in his life. Additionally pleading for compassion on Buchanan's behalf was Bill O'Brien, the athletic director of the Sterling House in Stratford where he worked. O'Brien stated that although he was uncertain of Buchanan's motivations for attempting to sexually assault a child, he stated that Buchanan had already paid the price by getting fired from his job and breaking up with his girlfriend. O'Brien said that Buchanan "just needs help." Buchanan emphasized that his acts were motivated by PTSD. He said he now had a "new outlook on life" as a result of his arrest.

He expressed his desire to assist other soldiers who were dealing with similar issues as he was. While recognizing Buchanan's services to the United States, Judge Devlin indicated that Buchanan believed he was grooming two 13-year-old girls, noting how he discussed the sex acts he wanted to perform on them. Judge Devlin sentenced Buchanan to eight years in prison, suspended after he serves three years. The judge also sentenced him to ten years of probation and required him to register as a sex offender for ten years. In January 2019, Buchanan was released from prison. He will continue to be listed on the sex offender registry and be on probation until 2029.

In 2022, for his Predators I've Caught podcast, Chris Hansen tracked down and contacted a number belonging to Buchanan. Hansen was then asked not to call again, and he obliged.

A member of his unit would disclose Buchanan, a vehicle mechanic, never saw any combat, essentially accusing him of Stolen Valor. I served with this turd. Yes, he did deploy to Iraq. But no, he did not see any combat. He doesn’t have PTSD. He sat on his ass on the FOB all day tinkering with this bullshit. Zero missions. " Stephen " tinkering with this bullshit" Buchanan is the second suspect theorized to have plotted killing the decoy after his attempted sexual liaison; the other was Todd Spikes , who showed up with a wide array of guns, ropes, a tarp, a chainsaw and a boat anchor.