Lowestoft sex blackmailer Anthony Burns jailed for 24 years

Anthony ‘Danny’ Burns, from Lowestoft, used dating and so-called sugar daddy sites luring vulnerable victims into sharing images that he then used to force them into performing sex acts and coercing others into abusing their children.

The 39-year-old 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.

Sentencing him to a 24-year custodial term and an extended five-year period on licence, she told him: “You did not care about the anguish you caused and had complete disregard for your victims’ suffering.”

Birmingham Crown Court was told he had worked with and learned online blackmail techniques from online sex offender Abdul Elahi, who was jailed for 32 years in 2021.

Burns has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment and five years on licence (Image: National Crime Agency)

From his bedroom in Lowestoft Burns used multiple different names, addresses, telephone numbers and websites to attempt to contact approximately 600 people around the world with the intention of sexually exploiting them.

He also posed as various people including the head of a modelling agency looking for clients in order to get women into sharing naked images.

'Predatory attitude to vulnerable women' 

Prosecutor Kate Temple-Mabe had told the court he had a perverse interest in sexual activity, including with animals, and demanded sexual videos from victims after tricking them into sending their personal and social media details and addresses.

READ MORE: Victims face depraved Lowestoft sex blackmailer in court

When he had received enough explicit material, he “terrified victims into meeting his demands” by threatening to expose pictures to the victims’ families, friends and employers unless they sent more depraved photos and videos.

Judge Buckingham said he had a “predatory attitude to vulnerable women” and had shown a “pattern of threatening behaviour to get what you want”.

Judge Sarah Buckingham sentenced Burns at Birmingham Crown Court (Image: Google)

She told Burns, some of whose victims in the UK, US and Australia had self-harmed or attempted to take their own lives.

No one who heard the victim's impact statement in the case could have failed to have been moved, the judge said.

Lone, pathetic man - with deep-seated cruel streak

The court was told he had previous convictions for child-related sexual offences dating back to 2010, including sexual grooming of a 14-year-old schoolgirl that had seen him previously jailed for inciting child prostitution.

READ MORE: Lowestoft man Anthony Burns on trial for sexual offences

Offering mitigation, defence barrister Hugh Forgan said Burns, who was addicted to pornography, had experienced traumatic events earlier in his life, including the death of a partner in a car crash.

He said at the time of his latest offending he had been living with his mother in Lowestoft which was “not a happy arrangement” with Burns a “lone, pathetic man” spending all his time in one room.

But Judge Buckingham told him he was someone who was “arrogant with a deep-seated cruel streak” and had caused “immense harm and distress” and shown no remorse.

Victims showed immense courage providing vital evidence

Following the sentencing, National Crime Agency operations manager Robert Slater said: “Anthony Burns was a revolting sexual offender.

“My first thoughts go out to his victims, many of whom showed immense courage by providing vital evidence to secure his conviction.

“The control he sought over them, some of whom were young children, was sinister, manipulative and heartless.”

Bethany Raine, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Burns had an obsessive interest in controlling women and children into performing increasingly degrading sexual acts online for his own gratification.

“He belittled and humiliated women. They became trapped in a web of fear where their own images became tools of manipulation and extortion, leaving them vulnerable to his depraved demands.”