Anthony Burns: Online predator who blackmailed victims worldwide is jailed

A prolific online blackmailer who demanded sexually degrading videos from young women and girls has been jailed for 24 years.

Anthony Burns had admitted more than 40 charges, including 26 counts of blackmail, six relating to indecent images of children and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Burns, 39, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, has previous convictions for child-related sexual offences dating back to 2010.

A sentencing hearing at Birmingham Crown Court heard that Burns had a perverse interest in sexual activity, including with animals.

Burns sat with his head bowed in the dock as Judge Sarah Buckingham said the offences of blackmail, malicious communications, making indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornography and causing sexual activity with a child showed he was a dangerous offender.

Burns had shown no remorse despite directing a woman in the United States to perform sex acts, before the woman was ordered to sexually abuse a seven-year-old girl as he recorded a 25-minute video, the judge said.

• Anthony Burns answers 'no comment' when asked about one of his email addresses

Some of his victims described how they had considered taking their own lives because of Burns' threats.

Burns used dating and so-called sugar daddy sites to identify victims from the UK, USA and Australia.

He tricked them into sending their personal and social media details and addresses.

Prosecutor Kate Temple-Mabe told the court that “behind every communication was a desire to force women to perform sexually degrading acts online, which he would screenshot.”

Sentencing Burns to a 24-year custodial term and an extended five-year period on licence following his eventual release, Judge Sarah Buckingham said: “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.”

She told the 39-year-old he was someone who was “arrogant with a deep-seated cruel streak” and had caused “immense harm and distress”.

Birmingham Crown Court was told Burns learned online blackmail techniques from Abdul Elahi, who was jailed by the same judge for 32 years in 2021, after targeting an estimated 2,000 people globally.

Sentencing Burns, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, the judge added: “You needed no encouragement (from Elahi). You were no junior partner – you encouraged him.”

• Burns’ 35 victims were from: Aberdeen, Australia, Birmingham, Braintree, Canterbury, Channel Islands, Essex, Coventry, Dartford, Huddersfield, Kettering, London (Battersea, Brent, Clapham, Hackney, Finchley and Greenwich), Luton, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Runcorn, Spalding, Sunbury-on-Thames, Swindon, Trowbridge and the US.

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