Princeton Parks & Rec. instructor dies as officers serve child sex abuse material warrant
A Princeton man who worked with children in at least two Massachusetts communities died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Thursday night as law enforcement tried to serve a search warrant for child sexual abuse material at his home in Princeton, officials announced Friday night.
John Buffington, 67, of Princeton, worked with the town of Princeton's Parks and Recreation Department, leading programs on woodworking, primitive and kite skills, according to officials from Massachusetts State Police, the Princeton Police Department and district attorneys from Worcester and Middlesex counties.
He previously worked in an afterschool program in Lincoln, called the Lincoln Extended Day Program (LEAP) for kindergarten through eighth-grade students for about two decades until 2014.
"It's extremely concerning," Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said of a person trusted to work with children being involved in such a crime. He and other officials emphasized their goal of being transparent so anyone who may have been affected can get help fast.
Officials don't think any children he worked with were involved in the child sex abuse material, but they urge anyone who is worried their children — many of whom would now be adults — may have been affected by Buffington to contact the Middlesex County Child Advocacy Center at 781-897-8400.
One of the children identified in the material is believed to have been known to Buffington, officials said, although officials would not specify the nature of that relationship.
Buffington killed himself after police arrived at his home to serve the warrant on Jan. 8 between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. in Princeton, at 7 Oak Circle, officials said.
As officers attempted to serve their warrant for child sex abuse material and announced themselves at the door, he retreated back into the home, fled into an attached garage and fatally shot himself, said state police Colonel Geoffrey Noble. Officers did not see him with the weapon at the door and he did not speak with officers at any point prior to his death.
An ensuing investigation at the home revealed several pictures of child sex abuse material, Princeton Police Chief Paul Patriarca said.
A tip about Buffington had come into law enforcement through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Noble said.
Buffington did not have a criminal record and did have a license to carry a firearm. An incident involving Buffington was reported, however, to the Department of Children and Families in 2014, the officials said, but it was not substantiated.
Buffington had passed Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI, checks in the past, Patriarca said.
The death investigation is being conducted by Massachusetts State Police, Princeton police and investigators with both the Worcester County and Middlesex County District Attorney's Offices.
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