STEPHEN BUXTON, COVENTRY CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER, JAILED FOR SECRETLY FILMING TEENAGE GIRL IN SHOWER
In March 2016, Coventry-based children's entertainer and magician Stephen Buxton, known by his stage name 'Mr Wizz', was sentenced to prison after secretly recording a teenage girl during her shower.Buxton, 43, of Burnaby Road, Radford, Coventry, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to two charges of taking indecent images of the girl and was subsequently imprisoned for 16 months.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Additionally, Buxton was subjected to a sexual harm prevention order that prohibits him from having contact with children without the permission of a parent or guardian, with knowledge of his conviction and approval from Social Services.
Prosecutor Anthony Cartin explained that earlier that year, Buxton was at an address in Coventry, not in his capacity as an entertainer, when an incident involving a 16-year-old girl occurred.
The girl told him she was about to take a shower, and Buxton asked to go to the bathroom first, claiming he needed to use the toilet.
She then entered the bathroom to shower.
As she prepared to leave, she noticed a mobile phone in the corner.
When she picked it up, she saw that its camera was recording.
The device had been recording for approximately 20 minutes.
When she played the footage, it showed Buxton placing the phone in the corner, having already activated the recording, and then leaving the bathroom.
The video also captured her going into the bathroom, undressing, and showering.
Shocked, the girl went downstairs to confront Buxton, who then left the scene after she informed one of her parents about her discovery.
Early the next morning, Buxton was found in his parked car after having taken over 70 Paracetamol tablets in a suicide attempt.
He left a note apologizing for the distress caused and indicating his intent to kill himself.
He was taken to hospital, and upon his release the following day, authorities seized his phone.
Police investigators discovered 'thumbnails'—small images indicating he had taken naked pictures of the same girl, who was then 15, in a manner similar to the filming incident.
Buxton, however, responded with a 'no comment' when questioned by officers, despite having written an apology in his note.
Judge Alan Parker rejected the request to keep Buxton's identity confidential, citing the public interest in disclosing the conviction.
Addressing Buxton directly, the judge stated, 'I have to sentence you for two offences of taking indecent photographs of a child.
You used your mobile phone to record her while she was in the bathroom, having gone there beforehand.' The judge added that Buxton appeared remorseful and sorrowful, evident from his suicide attempt, but emphasized that his deviant conduct caused significant distress and invasion of the young victim's privacy, leaving no choice but to impose a custodial sentence.
