Orion Kannis: Caringbah DJ’s sick, depraved online life revealed
To many he was an aspiring DJ who lived for his ‘beats’. But to his teenage victims he was a depraved tormentor who threatened to post their revealing photos and videos if they didn’t send him more explicit content. Now, his sordid secret life can be revealed for the first time.
St George Shire Standard
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An ambitious young local DJ with dreams of playing the world’s biggest electronic music events was living a secret life online, plying young girls for naked photos and tormenting them for increasingly graphic content.
Orion Kannis walked free from prison on Sunday just two days before his 22nd birthday after spending 11 months behind bars for possessing child abuse material, soliciting child pornography and grooming children for sexual activity.
For seven months in 2016 and 2017 he wheedled seven girls, some as young as 14 until they sent him graphic naked photos and videos before he threatened to post them online.
Shocking details heard in the Court of Criminal Appeal reveal the lengths Kannis went to in his efforts to obtain girls’ naked photos and videos.
He threatened to hack Victim G’s computer and send explicit photos of her to her parents if she did not send him more graphic material.
“Victim G sent a photograph of her waist down wearing no underwear, and Kannis demanded a more sexually explicit photograph be sent by Victim G,” court documents state.
“At about 8.58am and 9.07am, Victim G sent two photographs of her vagina – Kannis demanded an even more explicit photograph.”
Kannis demanded increasingly explicit photos of Victim E and then repeatedly counted down from 10 as he threatened to post her photos online if she did not send him more.
“Kannis then insisted, in graphic terms, that Victim E send a video of her masturbating,” court documents state.
“Kannis pressed her to continue, to which Victim E replied ‘please no that’s too far for me’ to which Kannis replied ‘do it’.”
Eight days before he was charged, Kannis goaded Victim A into sending seductive, “freaky” photos with the promise of thousands of dollars in return.
“In support of his offer for payment, the Applicant sent Victim A photographs of bank transactions he had sent to other girls who had provided photographs,” court documents state.
“Victim A sent photographs to the Applicant of her top half fully clothed, then sent increasingly revealing photographs including bikini photographs, completely naked photographs and photographs of her vagina and videos of her masturbating.”
Kannis told a psychologist he had used social media to make friends.
“He felt disconnected from those around him and despite knowing the ages of the victims and that he was committing an offence, he reported feeling as though he was unable to stop,” court documents stated.
“He stated that ‘he felt isolated and unloved which led to moods of depression’.”
Kannis has been employed as a graphic designer in the prison print shop and reported an unpleasant experience behind bars.
“Kannis has been subjected to threats in custody, which revive memories of bullying which he experienced at school,” court documents stated.
Three months after he was imprisoned Kannis was also referred to the Custody Based Sex Offender Program.
However, in February this year his referral was reviewed and it was determined he did not have enough time left to complete the program and he never participated in it.
“As a result, the Applicant has not been able to continue, in any form, psychological counselling which had played a significant part in his path towards rehabilitation at the time he was sentenced,” court documents stated.
Kannis was originally to be released on parole in September after serving 15 months of his two-and-a-half year head sentence.
However, he successfully appealed his sentence in the Court of Criminal Appeal and was released four months early on a three-year supervision order.
On a business page set up for his DJing pursuits Kannis said he was “all about the beats”.
“Orion is not focused on yesterday; his sights are set on Tomorrow....Land,” Kannis said of himself.
“Channeling his melodies and beats from his higher self, Orion doesn’t follow the rules and aspires to produce tracks that are interdimensional and trigger awakenings in people’s hearts.”