TWISTED DEVON PAEDO CALLED HIMSELF 'MASTER'
A depraved paedophile from Devon forced a child in the United States to perform degrading sexual acts for him while he fantasized about her from his flat in Totnes.Richard Panniers was described by Exeter Crown Court as a narcissistic threat to children.
The 45-year-old engaged in online sexual conversations with a vulnerable 11-year-old girl.
Over an 18-month period, he convinced her to participate in humiliating sexual acts while he observed and indulged in his disturbing fantasies from thousands of miles away.
He claimed the girl was responsible for his criminal conduct, stating, "You made me a paedophile." Panniers pleaded guilty to multiple charges including possession of indecent images of children and inducing a child under 13 to partake in penetrative sexual activity.
Sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment with an additional four years on licence, the judge remarked, "You are, beyond doubt, dangerous." Prosecutor Emily Pitts explained that police traced sexual communication on the social media platform Rec Room back to Panniers and recovered numerous devices during a raid in May.
They found a large cache of disturbing material, including thousands of messages with an 11-year-old girl on Instagram and Snapchat, where she was explicitly identified as being that age.
Panniers instructed her not to inform authorities.
The majority of these messages were sexual in nature, sometimes reaching a thousand exchanges daily.
He expressed a desire to rape her and located her Facebook profile.
The prosecuting lawyer described Panniers’ actions as "controlling, manipulative grooming," where he portrayed himself as her "boyfriend" and "master," referring to himself as "daddy." He persuaded her to send hundreds of videos depicting degrading sexual acts, during which she appeared distressed.
When she mentioned contemplating suicide, Panniers responded inappropriately, suggesting it was sexy.
He also sent indecent videos of himself masturbating.
Authorities discovered hundreds of child abuse images on his devices, many of which displayed extreme harm to very young children.
Panniers had installed software to delete evidence swiftly if needed.
Defence lawyer Martin Salloway acknowledged that Panniers suffered from a mental disorder, unspecified in detail, and mentioned his migraines and alcohol use as coping mechanisms.
Judge Anna Vigars, KC, noted that Panniers only ceased his activities after being caught.
He was ordered to serve up to two-thirds of his 12-year sentence before release on licence and was subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
The judge commended police efforts, emphasizing that dedicated officers are essential to bringing offenders like Panniers to justice.
