Port Orange police report that an 18-year-old man was charged with child
abuse along with other charges in the beating of his 17-year-old girlfriend.
Dillon Buckinham-Settle and his unnamed girlfriend have been in a relationship
for two years, a relationship that has a documented history of violence.
Saturday night, police report that while Buckinham-Settle was driving his
girlfriend home, he stopped at a gas station, but then refused to pump
gas because his girlfriend refused to talk to him. The girl told police
she was frightened that if she talked to her boyfriend, he would hit her.
Unfortunately for her, the suspect began hitting and threatening to kill
her at the gas station, and then again, while driving to her home, he
also hit her in the back of the head several times while spitting on her, as well.
When the couple arrived at the girl’s gated community and Buckinham-Settle
refused to input the code to open the gate, his girlfriend attempted to
exit the car. However, each time she attempted to leave the car he would
lock the door and hit her in the arm and the head. Finally she managed
to escape the vehicle with her purse and cell phone, but unfortunately
for her, Buckinham-Settle exited his vehicle, too, and grabbed her, placed
her in a choke hold and began strangling her. The girl was able to break
the suspect’s hold by bending his thumb back, and when she was free,
she jumped the brick wall by the gate and ran home. When she arrived at
home, her mother called the police to report the assault on her daughter.
What Charges Will the Suspect Be Facing?
The Port Orange Police arrest report shows Buckinham-Settle was charged
with child abuse, false imprisonment and domestic battery by strangulation
for the attacks on his underage girlfriend.
Under Florida law, domestic battery by strangulation is a severe felony
criminal offense, and a conviction can result in serious penalties and
consequences, including a criminal record, inability to own a firearm,
restrictions on future professional and occupational opportunities, fines,
and a jail or prison sentence.
If you have been charged with any type of domestic violence offense, contact
an experienced Florida criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
The sooner you contact an experienced, skilled attorney, the sooner he
can investigate the charges against you and begin creating your defense
to achieve the most desirable outcome in your situation.