A paedophile who posed online as pop star Justin Bieber to persuade girls as young as nine to commit sex acts for him was jailed for 14 years today.
Robert Hunter, 35, used the star’s identity and other fake teenage boy personas to dazzle hundreds of child victims worldwide.
He encouraged them to strip naked and perform sex acts on webcam – then threatened them with exposure and violence if they told.
Hunter, of Middlesbrough, was finally traced by police in Tasmania after one of his young victims complained.
At Teesside Crown Court, he admitted 15 charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and 14 of making indecent photos of children.
Jailing him, Judge Peter Bowers said: “The deceits you used were elaborate.
“This is one of the most serious cases of internet abuse the courts have dealt with in this area.”
He described it as one of the worst cases to come before the courts, while one source in the inquiry said Hunter was ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’.
Pretending to be Bieber himself, or a teenage boy, he used sites such as Facebook, Skype, MSN and imesh to persuade girls to expose themselves.
He would film them and threaten to tell their parents if they became suspicious, Teesside crown court heard.
Hunter typed messages so they did not hear his voice over the web cam, claiming the sound was not working properly.
He prowled online - with 500 girls’ details on one account alone - to target girls across Europe, Asia, USA, UK, Canada and Australia.
Jailed: Robert Hunter was sent to prison at Teesside Crown Court
Prosecutor Richard Bennett said: “Over the course of 2010, 2011 and 2012, Hunter, using a number of online aliases, had pretended to a number of very young girls that he was a teenager.
“On each occasion he was able to disguise his true age and identity by the clever use of images of young boys or by pretending that his computer wasn’t working properly.
“As a further demonstration of the naivety and innocence of his victims, he was also able to persuade some that he was the music artist Justin Bieber.
“He did this in order to dupe and encourage these young girls to strip on webcams and perform sex acts for him.”
He threatened to kill the brother of one terrified victim if she refused his demands.
More than 800 films and stills taken from the online chats were discovered on Hunter’s computer and on disc.
None of the sickening images amassed by the sex beast were downloaded from the web.
Officers in Tasmania traced Hunter’s depraved computer use after one young girl plucked up the courage to report him.
They tipped off Interpol, and Cleveland Police.
Hunter’s home in Middlesbrough was raided.
The extent and depravity of his online activities shocked even the most experienced detectives, but he continued to offend ever after his arrest in December, 2012.
A folder on his computer called “me” showed how he created false identities such as Justin, Josh and Joshua to lure his victims, and film them.
The “avatar” image of 19-year-old Canadian superstar Bieber was used on his social networking site to disguise his true identity.
A source on the case admitted: “It is terrifying to think what someone can persuade girls to do just by using a picture like that.
"He is every parent’s worst nightmare.
"In a very calculated and chilling way, has wormed his way into the lives of these girls.
"What he did was appalling.”
His barrister, Tamara Pawson, said Hunter knew he had a problem and was ready for treatment.
But Judge Peter Bowers accused the paedophile of “gross exploitation” and told him: “I don’t know what damage you’ve done.”
He added: “The deceits you used were elaborate, persistent and clever at times.
“It represents callous - almost sadistic - exploitation of young girls.
“Their feelings were manipulated and their naivety and vulnerability undermined and used by you for your own benefit and personal gratification.
“This is one of the most serious cases of internet abuse the courts have dealt with in this area.
“It is certainly a salutary warning to all parents of teenage children and what is capable of being done on the internet and how it can be abused.”
Det Sgt Paul Higgins, of Cleveland Police, said after the case: “Robert Hunter was a calculating and malicious predator who set out to coerce and bully young girls into exposing themselves over the internet.
“This investigation highlights the dangers that children face when conversing with people over the internet.”
Hunter, of Middlesbrough, was jailed for a total of 14 years after admitting 15 charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and 14 of making indecent photos of children.