STEVE BUCKTON FROM WEST DRAYTON JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN MIDDLESEX

In September 2006, Steven Trevor Buxton, a 47-year-old engineer residing in West Drayton, Middlesex, was formally sentenced at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court following a guilty plea to multiple serious child sex offences. The court handed down an indeterminate prison sentence, mandating a minimum of two and a half years behind bars, for a series of disturbing charges that highlight the dangers posed by online predators.

Buxton faced five counts in total. These included one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, which involves efforts to arrange an in-person meeting with a minor for sexual purposes. He was also charged with attempting to cause a child under the age of 13 to view explicit images of sexual activity, a crime that underscores the severity of his intentions.

Further charges involved attempted distribution of indecent images of children, with three counts related to this activity, indicating multiple instances of sharing such material. Additionally, Buxton was convicted of making indecent images of children, a serious offence that involves creating or possessing illegal content. To compound his criminal record, he was also sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for possession of indecent images, with this sentence to run concurrently with his other penalties.

The case against Buxton was initiated after he engaged in an online relationship with a girl he believed to be underage. The communication began in March of that year and quickly became highly explicit. Unbeknownst to Buxton, he was actually communicating with a specially trained detective from the Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Command, who was operating undercover.

During their online exchanges, Buxton sent the girl a sexually explicit photograph and used graphic language, demonstrating his intent and the seriousness of his actions. The police had been monitoring his activities closely. On April 13, 2006, Buxton traveled to a London park, apparently expecting to meet the girl in person. However, officers from the Paedophile Unit were waiting for him and promptly arrested him for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

During the search of his vehicle, authorities discovered a DVD player and numerous DVDs containing indecent movies involving children, further evidencing his involvement in the possession and distribution of illegal material. The case was handled by Detective Inspector Neil Thompson of the Paedophile Unit, who emphasized the importance of such operations.

DI Thompson stated, “This arrest and conviction results from one of many covert operations conducted by the Metropolitan Police aimed at those most dangerous of offenders; those that groom children for sexual abuse. This case demonstrates to paedophiles that wherever they go, our team could be tracking them. It should also be a reminder to parents that they must remain ever vigilant to ensure their children’s safe use of the Internet.”