A SERIAL predator who blackmailed his terrified victims into sending indecent images and videos has been jailed.
Anthony ‘Danny’ Burns, 39, coerced one woman, who lived in the US, to abuse her eight-year-old daughter in a vile 25-minute video.
PAOnline sex blackmailer Anthony Burns has been jailed for 24 years[/caption]
He attempted to contact 600 people in total as he trawled sugar daddy and dating sites hunting for victims.
The fiend learned online blackmail techniques from Abdul Elahi, who was jailed for 32 years in 2021 after targeting around 2,000 people.
Burns, who has a sick fascination with sexual activity involving animals and children, tricked victims into sending their personal and social media details and addresses.
He would then demand indecent videos from them and threaten to post them online or tell family members – leaving them “terrified”.
Burns has now been jailed for 24 years after he admitted more than 40 charges against 39 victims, who were aged between eight and 54.
These included 26 counts of blackmail, six relating to indecent images of children and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Sentencing, Judge Sarah Buckingham branded Burns “arrogant with a deep-seated cruel streak”.
She added: “Your offending took place over a two-and-a-half-year period.
“You did not care about the anguish you caused and had complete disregard for your victims’ suffering.”
Birmingham Crown Court heard Burns, who has previous convictions for child sex offences, blackmailed 39 victims in total – although the true number is feared to be much higher.
He spread his net as far as America and Australia as he used multiple online personas to snare his victims.
Once he had gained their trust, Burns moved their chats to WhatsApp, which is encrypted, and demanded sexual videos in return for £600.
None of the money was ever paid out and once the clips dropped, the fiend threatened to expose them unless they sent more videos, which became increasingly more depraved in nature.
He convinced the US mum, who has now been jailed, to twice sexually assault her daughter.
Other victims were left terrified Burns would come to their homes and murder them, with some contemplating suicide.
One said: “I could not stop thinking about it. Everything I had planned was tainted.”
Another woman said her life had been “ruined” by the predator, while others spoke of being unable to break the “vicious cycle”.
Burns’ three-year reign of terror only came to an end in 2019 when officers from the National Crime Agency arrested him and seized his phone and computers – exposing his sick crimes.
NCA Operations Manager Robert Slater said: “Anthony Burns showed remorseless cruelty in controlling and coercing his victims, including very young children, into acts which have left them severely traumatised.
“The NCA is determined to identify and pursue the most harmful child sexual offenders, including those who exploit technology to hide their activities and target large numbers of victims, no matter where they are.
“Anyone being pressured or threatened into sending sexual images or videos online, should remove themselves immediately from the conversation, not respond further to any contact, and report the matter to police.
“You are not alone, you are not to blame and there is always help available.”
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