An online predator who blackmailed dozens of women around the world into performing sexual and degrading acts, including child abuse, has been jailed for 24 years.
Anthony Burns, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, used multiple online identities when interacting with women online.
On one occasion he pretended to be the head of a model agency searching for agents, while on another he pretended to be an officer with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).
Once the 39-year-old gained the trust of his victims, he would move the conversation to WhatsApp.
The women were ordered to film themselves performing sexual acts in the belief they would receive £600, but the money was never transferred to them.
When he received enough explicit material, Burns threatened to reveal the photos to their family and friends unless they sent more lewd photos and videos.
Burns had 39 victims – ranging in age from eight to fifty-five – women he blackmailed and children who were later abused.
One of the victims was an eight-year-old girl in the United States, who was abused by her mother after constant coercion by Burns. The FBI helped officers track down his victims in the United States.
Most of his other victims lived in England, but he also targeted people in the Channel Islands and Australia.
Sentencing Burns to 24 years in prison and an extended period of five years after his eventual release, Judge Sarah Buckingham said: “Your crime occurred over two-and-a-half years.
“You did not care about the suffering you caused and completely ignored the suffering of your victims.”
She told the 39-year-old he was an “arrogant person with a deep-rooted cruel streak” who had caused “enormous hurt and distress”.
“Very young children have been severely traumatized by cruelty.”
The UK's National Crime Agency arrested Burns in February 2019.
Robert Slater, NCA director of operations, said: “Anthony Burns displayed ruthless cruelty in controlling and coercing his victims, including very young children, into acts that left them deeply traumatised.”
Burns worked with and has been described as a “disciple” of Notorious online child sex offender Abdul Elahwho was sentenced to 32 years in prison by the same judge in December 2021 after targeting 2,000 people globally for online sadistic abuse.
After his arrest, Burns was charged with 46 counts — including extortion, attempted extortion, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging to commit a sex offense with a child; Making and distributing indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornography, malicious communications offences, and failure to comply with notification requirements.
He admitted 39 charges, and was convicted of two further charges last August, after a two-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
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