ALECSANDRU FROM MOISE BUTA JERSEY CAUGHT IN ONLINE SEX OFFENDER SCANDAL

In a case that has highlighted the dangers of online predators, a young woman from Jersey who took it upon herself to expose a sex offender has revealed her intentions to continue such efforts in the future. Cheyenne O’Connor, aged 24, played a pivotal role in bringing 19-year-old Alecsandru-Moise Buta to justice by posing as a teenage girl in an online sting operation.

It all began in late March of the previous year when Buta, a Romanian hotel worker residing at Maison St Louis in St Saviour, initiated contact with a young girl through the anonymous chat platform Antichat. During their conversations, Buta engaged in sexually explicit dialogue, asking the girl if she was 'horny' and making inappropriate advances. As the conversation escalated into sexual content, the girl confided in her mother, who then alerted Miss O’Connor about the disturbing exchanges.

Seizing the opportunity to intervene, Miss O’Connor took over the chat, unbeknownst to Buta, and continued the conversation. Within a matter of days, the defendant had sent explicit messages and images of himself, and had even arranged to meet at the Waterfront in Jersey. The messages exchanged between Buta and the fictitious teenage girl were numerous, with some asking if she wanted to have sex, whether she was a virgin, and if she would send explicit images of herself.

Determined to see justice served, Miss O’Connor went to the Waterfront meeting location, covertly took photographs of Buta, and shared these images along with the chat messages with the police authorities. Her actions led to Buta’s arrest. During police questioning, he admitted to one count of attempted sexual grooming. Subsequently, he was sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court to 180 hours of community service and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of three years.

Defense lawyer Advocate James Bell argued that Buta’s actions represented a serious lapse in judgment, emphasizing that he was a first-time offender. The court heard that the case was particularly grave, with Magistrate David Le Cornu describing the offense as extremely serious, typically warranting a custodial sentence.

In court, Miss O’Connor expressed mixed feelings about her role in the case. She recounted her initial interactions with the police, noting that an officer had threatened to arrest her, while another was more supportive. She admitted that her actions were not premeditated but explained that she felt compelled to act after realizing the potential danger posed by Buta. She stated, “I caught someone who might have hurt a child. It would be something I would think about carrying on.”

Reflecting on her experience, Miss O’Connor revealed that it had opened her eyes to the hidden world of sex crimes in Jersey. She described her collection of evidence, which included approximately 50 screenshots containing multiple messages and images sent by Buta, including photos of his face and other explicit content. She expressed her frustration with the leniency of the sentence, remarking, “The sentence is a joke. If you punch someone in town, you could get two years in prison. They were saying he was young and hadn’t done it before, but you have to start somewhere.”