ASHINGTON MAN STEVEN BOULTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND DARK WEB PERVERSION

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Ashington, Steven Boulton, aged 43, has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of engaging in heinous online activities involving the exploitation of children. The case came to light after undercover police officers infiltrated a dark web communication channel, where Boulton openly expressed his sickening desires and shared explicit videos involving minors.

According to court proceedings, Boulton initiated contact with an undercover officer in March of 2018. During their exchanges, he made alarming comments about his intentions towards the officer’s daughters, who he believed to be 12 and 14 years old. Boulton explicitly discussed his desire to sexually abuse the girls, including using sex toys and committing acts of penetration. His conversations revealed a disturbing level of premeditation and depravity.

The court heard that on March 10, Boulton sent a video depicting a young girl, estimated to be around six or seven years old, engaged in penetrative sexual activity with an adult. The video showed the child appearing distressed at the conclusion of the clip, highlighting the severity of the abuse. Less than two weeks later, on March 20, he sent another video, this time referring to it as involving a '13-year-old lass.' The footage depicted a girl estimated to be between 11 and 13 years old engaging in sexual acts.

Throughout their online interactions, Boulton expressed trust in the person he believed was a parent or guardian, eventually providing his mobile phone number on March 22. The following day, police arrested him at his residence on Chillingham Crescent, Ashington. A search of his home uncovered a mobile device containing a small collection of indecent images and videos, some of which depicted girls as young as four years old.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch detailed the extent of Boulton’s depravity, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the material found and the explicit conversations he engaged in. The evidence presented in court confirmed that Boulton had been actively seeking to indulge in and distribute child exploitation content.

In sentencing, Newcastle Crown Court handed Boulton a prison term of 32 months. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and was subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Steven Boulton.