EDUARD VAN BUUL SHOCKS ENDERBY AND LOUGHBOROUGH WITH INTERNET CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL
| Red Rose Database
Loughborough Enderby Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Enderby and Loughborough, Eduard Van Buul, a 47-year-old accountant, has been sentenced to over five years in prison for heinous crimes involving the exploitation of a 14-year-old girl through online communications.
Van Buul, who resided on Canal Bridge Close in Loughborough and was previously based in Enderby, admitted to multiple serious charges, including inciting a minor to engage in sexual activity via his work computer. His criminal activities extended beyond this, as he also pleaded guilty to possessing a large collection of indecent images of children, distributing these images to other paedophiles across different countries, and possessing extreme pornography involving animals.
The sentencing took place at Leicester Crown Court, where Judge Robert Brown delivered a stern warning about the gravity of Van Buul’s actions. The judge detailed how the victim, a girl aged between 13 and 15, was manipulated over a period of fifteen months through online interactions. Van Buul engaged in numerous chats with her, exchanging a staggering 311 emails, during which he exploited her emotional vulnerability and convinced her to send explicit images of herself.
Judge Brown described Van Buul as a highly intelligent and manipulative individual who used his skills to groom the young girl. The court heard that the images she sent became increasingly violent and extreme, causing her significant humiliation and degradation. The judge emphasized that Van Buul did not see anything wrong with his conduct, highlighting the need for psychological treatment to address his behavior.
Victoria Rose, the prosecutor, explained that Van Buul’s arrest was the result of a covert online investigation. Undercover officers posed as a young girl and initiated contact with him in April of the previous year. The online abuse was uncovered when the victim realized she had been deceived and was horrified to discover the true nature of Van Buul’s intentions. The prosecutor revealed that Van Buul’s online conversations grew more violent, with him expressing a desire to physically harm the girl, even stating he wanted to break her bones.
The victim, in a victim impact statement, expressed feelings of stupidity and self-blame, which led her to self-harm with scissors. Judge Brown reassured her that she was innocent and should not blame herself for the abuse she suffered.
The court found that Van Buul possessed a vast collection of indecent images, totaling 630 at the lowest level of severity, with additional images at higher levels, including 72 videos and 20 images classified as the most serious. He also shared these images with other paedophiles internationally, communicating in multiple languages, including English, German, French, and Dutch. The images involved children in distress, some of whom were depicted in extreme acts of abuse involving bestiality.
In mitigation, James Varley, Van Buul’s defense lawyer, stated that his client had no prior convictions and had taken steps to confront his behavior by voluntarily attending a course with the Lucy Faithful Foundation. Mr. Varley emphasized that Van Buul now recognized the wrongfulness of his actions and expressed a desire to change. He explained that Van Buul’s offending was driven more by social and emotional deficits, such as loneliness, rather than sexual motivation, and that all illegal activity was confined to his work computer, not his home.
Following the investigation, Van Buul was dismissed from his employment once his employer became aware of the police inquiry. Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins, who leads the Leicestershire Police’s Paedophile and Online Investigation Team, commented on the case, stating that Van Buul admitted to engaging with children and paedophiles online for over two decades. He noted that Van Buul’s offending appeared to be concealed from his family, as there was no evidence of illegal activity at his residence. Detective Hawkins urged other potential victims to come forward, warning that the evidence presented was only a snapshot of Van Buul’s criminal behavior and that there may be additional victims out there, given the extent of his offending.
Van Buul, who resided on Canal Bridge Close in Loughborough and was previously based in Enderby, admitted to multiple serious charges, including inciting a minor to engage in sexual activity via his work computer. His criminal activities extended beyond this, as he also pleaded guilty to possessing a large collection of indecent images of children, distributing these images to other paedophiles across different countries, and possessing extreme pornography involving animals.
The sentencing took place at Leicester Crown Court, where Judge Robert Brown delivered a stern warning about the gravity of Van Buul’s actions. The judge detailed how the victim, a girl aged between 13 and 15, was manipulated over a period of fifteen months through online interactions. Van Buul engaged in numerous chats with her, exchanging a staggering 311 emails, during which he exploited her emotional vulnerability and convinced her to send explicit images of herself.
Judge Brown described Van Buul as a highly intelligent and manipulative individual who used his skills to groom the young girl. The court heard that the images she sent became increasingly violent and extreme, causing her significant humiliation and degradation. The judge emphasized that Van Buul did not see anything wrong with his conduct, highlighting the need for psychological treatment to address his behavior.
Victoria Rose, the prosecutor, explained that Van Buul’s arrest was the result of a covert online investigation. Undercover officers posed as a young girl and initiated contact with him in April of the previous year. The online abuse was uncovered when the victim realized she had been deceived and was horrified to discover the true nature of Van Buul’s intentions. The prosecutor revealed that Van Buul’s online conversations grew more violent, with him expressing a desire to physically harm the girl, even stating he wanted to break her bones.
The victim, in a victim impact statement, expressed feelings of stupidity and self-blame, which led her to self-harm with scissors. Judge Brown reassured her that she was innocent and should not blame herself for the abuse she suffered.
The court found that Van Buul possessed a vast collection of indecent images, totaling 630 at the lowest level of severity, with additional images at higher levels, including 72 videos and 20 images classified as the most serious. He also shared these images with other paedophiles internationally, communicating in multiple languages, including English, German, French, and Dutch. The images involved children in distress, some of whom were depicted in extreme acts of abuse involving bestiality.
In mitigation, James Varley, Van Buul’s defense lawyer, stated that his client had no prior convictions and had taken steps to confront his behavior by voluntarily attending a course with the Lucy Faithful Foundation. Mr. Varley emphasized that Van Buul now recognized the wrongfulness of his actions and expressed a desire to change. He explained that Van Buul’s offending was driven more by social and emotional deficits, such as loneliness, rather than sexual motivation, and that all illegal activity was confined to his work computer, not his home.
Following the investigation, Van Buul was dismissed from his employment once his employer became aware of the police inquiry. Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins, who leads the Leicestershire Police’s Paedophile and Online Investigation Team, commented on the case, stating that Van Buul admitted to engaging with children and paedophiles online for over two decades. He noted that Van Buul’s offending appeared to be concealed from his family, as there was no evidence of illegal activity at his residence. Detective Hawkins urged other potential victims to come forward, warning that the evidence presented was only a snapshot of Van Buul’s criminal behavior and that there may be additional victims out there, given the extent of his offending.