Orion Kannis: Caringbah man threatened teens over nude images
A man posed as a modelling agent to coerce teen girls into sending him sickeningly graphic nude images and videos before threatening them. These are the never-before-seen details of the case against the man who changed several girls’ lives forever.
St George Shire Standard
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A Sydney man who solicited graphic sexual images and videos from numerous underage girls then cruelly extorted them for more by threatening to expose them online has only spent 11 months behind bars after receiving a four-month early mark from jail.
Orion Kannis, 22, posed as a modelling agent offering global fame, gifts and tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for graphic naked photos and videos of girls as young as 14.
He then threatened to post several of their photos online if they did not comply with his requests for more explicit content.
When he was arrested at his Caringbah South home in March 2017 Kannis told police his phone was riddled with naked images of 30 to 40 girls aged 14 to 18, many of whom he said he had “forced”.
Police ultimately uncovered 280 child abuse material items on his phone and laptop, one of which contained a plea from one of the victims begging “please don’t make me send any more”.
Kannis was sentenced to a maximum of two-and-a-half years behind bars in June 2019 for possessing child abuse material, soliciting child pornography and grooming children for sexual activity.
However, he was instead released on Sunday, four months before his original parole date after a successful appeal before Justices Peter Johnson, Natalie Adams and Mark Ierace in the Court of Criminal Appeal.
“This is an unusual case where a troubled and immature 18-year-old committed, between August 2016 and March 2017, serious cybersex offences involving real victims whom he manipulated, threatened, humiliated and embarrassed for his purposes,” Judge Culver said.
“(Kannis’) prospects of rehabilitation and reduction of his risk of reoffending will be substantially enhanced, in the public interest, by an extended period of conditional liberty.”
Kannis’ head sentence was reduced to 22 months and his non-parole period reduced to 11 months, resulting in his release from prison on Sunday.
He will now be subject to a three-year recognisance order requiring him to be of good behaviour and seek psychiatric intervention.
The court heard harrowing details of Kannis’ vile campaign of psychological torment against seven girls over seven months.
“In August 2016, Kannis and Victim D sent text messages to each other and (Kannis) explained that he needed videos and pictures so that he could put a profile together for Victim D to obtain modelling jobs,” Judge Culver said.
“Kannis told Victim D in graphic terms that she should ‘make it dirty’, and at 11.13am Victim D sent Kannis a movie of her performing sexual acts.”
When Kannis said the first video “wasn’t dirty enough” and Victim D stopped co-operating, he threatened to post her video “worldwide”.
Kannis also coerced Victims A, B, C, E, F and G into sending horrendously graphic sexual photos and videos, sexually propositioned some and sent others photos of his penis.
In a victim impact statement Victim A revealed her “distress, humiliation and embarrassment” over Kannis’ crimes and that she is now medicated for anxiety as a result of the ordeal.
“She has a real fear of getting on public transport because of fears she could run into Kannis,” Judge Culver said.
“She has been prescribed medication since the incident to combat anxiety and has a real fear that the incident may come up in the future and damage her reputation and chances at employment.”
Police descended on Kannis’ home after Victims A and B were threatened by Kannis over the images they had provided him and they confided in their parents out of fear.
Most details of the horrific case are too distressing to repeat.
Kannis’ mother described him as “incredibly remorseful” and said he “suffered deep shame” for his actions.