By Kevin Martin - The Calgary Sun - Mar 11/ 2013

The Internet has made it too easy for predators to get into the beds of minors, a prosecutor said Monday, in seeking an eight-year prison term.

Calgary Crown lawyer Nadine Nesbitt said sex offenders no longer need to be in a position of trust over young people in order to take advantage of their vulnerability.

As a result, she told provincial court Judge Sean Dunnigan, admitted child-porn producer John Gerald Mills should be looking at lengthy imprisonment.

“Mr. Mills is actively engaging in enticing young girls to go online and perform sex acts ... on camera for him,” Nesbitt said.

She said the Internet allows predators to get into the homes of their victims without ever having to hold a position of trust over them.

In the past, Nesbitt said, that authority relationship was required to allow sex offenders to take advantage of minors.

“This grooming that happens over the Internet is the same thing,” she said.

“In some ways it’s actually easier to do on the Internet.”

Mills, 24, of Prince George, B.C. pleaded guilty last year to nine charges related to him luring three Alberta girls over the Internet, including one Calgary teen with whom he had a two-year sexual relationship.

Mills was 20 when he began the relationship with the then-13-year-old, visiting her parents’ home about a dozen times over a two-year period, which included intercourse.

On one occasion he hid under her bed until it was safe to sneak out when her parents came home unexpectedly.

Defence lawyer Allan Fay said a six-year term would be appropriate.

A sentencing date will be set next Monday.