Lowestoft: Anthony Burns 'directed women to behave in depraved ways'

The abuse of a child was at the "clear direction" of Anthony Burns, the prosecution said

A "manipulative sexual predator" encouraged a woman he met on a dating site to abuse a child and recorded it for his gratification, a court heard.

Anthony Burns, 39, of Lowestoft, Suffolk, denies two counts of causing a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Birmingham Crown Court was told he "embarked upon a sustained campaign of predatory online sexual behaviour".

The jury heard he asked women on dating sites for explicit photos and videos.

He offered them cash before moving the conversation to WhatsApp, where video calls would take place, the court was told.

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He would "direct and control [women] to perform sexual acts online which he would screen capture", prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC told the court.

The jury heard one woman, who was referred to in court as DE for legal reasons and is from the US, performed sexual acts on herself on a video call with Mr Burns in August 2020.

She then sexually abused a child.

Ms Wilding said it is the Crown's case that the abuse was carried out "at the direction of the defendant".

She said: "He is a man with a proven sexual interest in children.

"He has a proven history of directing women to pose in a certain way... and behave in increasingly depraved ways."

The jury was told the woman involved is serving a prison sentence for her role in the abuse.

Ms Wilding said: "It is clear when you see the video that DE is doing things to the child under the direction of Burns - she keeps looking back at the camera as if for his approval."

Mr Burns was arrested and his devices were seized after an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Nigel Whalley, an investigator at the NCA's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, told the court there is evidence Mr Burns was speaking with women from across the UK, US and Australia.

The trial continues.