Salem Police say after an alleged 15-year-old female victim in a sex crime case agreed to talk, they have arrested a 35-year-old St. Louis man on ten new charges.
Courtney Buffkins now faces a Class X charge of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and five counts of travel to meet a child for a sex offense.
Buffkins had originally been arrested for felony obstructing justice on Tuesday when allegedly found at the Super 8 Motel in Salem with the girl. Police had gone to the motel to try and find the girl after a family member reported she had left their home with a man from Missouri. At the time they were found in the motel room, police say the juvenile would not talk to police.
In the Friday interview, the girl reported that she first met Buffkins in February of 2020 when he forcibly took her from her home and committed sex acts on her in Marion County outside the city limits before returning her to her residence. Buffkins then allegedly returned four more times to Salem over the past year and a half where he met with the juvenile girl and committed additional sex acts each time. Information about the initial sexual encounter outside the Salem City Limits has been turned over to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for investigation and possible additional charges.
Detectives say the five counts of felony traveling to meet a child requires contact by electronic means.
Detectives say they are not clear what led up to the first contact between the two.
Bond for Buffkins had been set at $10,000 during his first Marion County Court appearance on the original charge.
Buffkins also has legal problems elsewhere.
Based on the new charges, Coles County officials have revoked Buffkins’ bond on three pending felony charges there that include criminal sexual assault with force and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. As a result, Buffkins is now being held without bond.
Buffkins is scheduled for sentencing in Cumberland County in January on a criminal sexual abuse charge to which he entered a guilty plea earlier.
