A man who “utterly devastated” a family by tricking a young teenage girl into performing a sex act on her much younger brother for a video which went viral on Facebook has been jailed for 12 years.
Daniel Norton, 26, persuaded the girl he met on a dating website to carry out the act after threatening her that she would be removed from her family if she did not comply.
Southampton Crown Court heard that after classmates of the two Hampshire children saw the video, which was viewed across the county, they were bullied leading to them being moved school and the family moving home.
James Kellam, prosecuting, said Norton started by persuaded the girl to send him a topless photo.
He then told her that his father, who he falsely said was a police officer, would take her away from her family unless she sent him more explicit images.
Judge Gary Burrell QC told Norton he had “plumbed the depths of depravity” by his actions.
He told the defendant, of Cheadle, Stockport, Greater Manchester: “You persuaded and threatened a girl so that she ended up committing sexual acts on her own little brother.
“You made her film the act and then you put the film out so that it came on to the internet for the world to see.
“One only hopes that little boy doesn’t remember anything when he grows up, the little girl certainly will.
“The effect on this family has been nothing short of devastating, the children have been upset, the parents have been upset, the children have been made fun of and bullied.
“As a result the family have had to move the children to another school and move the entire family to another home because of the problems.”
He continued: “The father described the effects on the family as being utterly devastating and the whole family has been at a loss at how to deal with it and that has been down to you because you wanted to gratify your own sexual desires.”
Norton pleaded guilty to three counts of making a child engage in sexual activity, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and possessing extreme pornography of children with animals.
As well as the jail sentence, he was given an extended licence of three years and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order after the judge ruled he was a sexual predator and a danger to children.
The court heard that Norton gathered images of other teenage girls and enjoyed “the feelings of power and control” over them.
Matthew Jewell QC, defending, said his client was remorseful for his acts and added: “Mr Norton doesn’t seek to excuse his behaviour.”
An NSPCC spokeswoman said: “Norton is a predatory and dangerous abuser.
“He targeted and groomed a teenage girl before threatening her until she involved her younger brother in the abuse.
“He then increased their ordeal by sharing the images he had acquired on social media, where many others saw them.
“It is right that he has received a lengthy jail term for these sickening crimes and we hope his victims are now receiving the best available support.
“This case has highlighted once again the growing issue of abuse images being easily available online.
“It is extremely concerning that this material was viewed by children and young people and circulated between them.
“The NSPCC is calling for more action from government, law enforcement and internet providers to prevent abuse images being published online in the first place and to remove them quickly when they appear.
“This case also highlights how important it is for parents to be aware of the risks the online world can pose to their children and to understand how they can help keep them safe.”