Man who used AI to generate sexual images of children receives 18-year prison sentence
A man who used AI to generate sexual images of real children has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Man who created indecent images using AI-enabled technology sentenced to 24 years | Greater Manchester Police
Man who used AI to create child abuse images jailed for 18 years | Crime | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/28/man-who-used-ai-to-create-child-abuse-images-jailed-for-18-years
In August 2024, Hugh Nelson, from Bolton, England, was convicted of 16 counts of child sexual abuse following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police. According to Greater Manchester Police, Nelson used the 3D software ' Daz 3D ' to sexualize photos of real children. In some cases, pedophiles provided photos of real children and asked them to create sexual images.
Nelson also sold the sexual images he created over the internet and discussed child sexual abuse with other offenders. Nelson sold sexual images of children over the internet for 18 months, earning around £5,000 (approximately 990,000 yen).
There have been cases of people being convicted for ' deep fakes ' in the past, but Nelson created 3D characters from real photos and generated sexual images.
Sentencing Nelson at Bolton Crown Court, Judge Martin Walsh said it was 'impossible to know' whether any children had been raped as a result of the images Nelson created. He said Nelson had failed to consider the harm caused by producing and distributing the 'horrific and disturbing' images. Judge Walsh added: 'There appears to be no limit to the depth of the evil manifested in the images you have produced and which you have sought to make available to others.'
Nelson was arrested after telling an undercover police officer in an internet chat room that it would cost him £80 to create a sexually-charged 3D character based on his photo.
During the trial, David Toll, prosecuting, said, 'The defendant said, 'Beatings, suffocation, hanging, drowning, decapitation, disposal of bodies, bestiality, the list goes on and on,' adding a laughing emoji. 'The defendant said he felt like a vile person and that his mind was corrupt.' 'The defendant believed his criminal behaviour was out of control.'
When police searched Nelson's home, they found that he had exchanged messages with three people encouraging them to rape children under the age of 13. Nelson was also convicted of soliciting rape, and police have successfully identified suspects and victims in several countries, including Italy, France and the United States.
Janet Smith, a specialist prosecutor for the Child Protective Services, said: 'It is deeply disturbing that Hugh Nelson was able to take ordinary photographs of children and use AI tools and computer programs to edit them to create the most egregious images possible, which he then sold and shared online. 'Technology is rapidly evolving and, unfortunately, the risks to children are also increasing. We hope this conviction sends a clear message to those who misuse technology to harm children: you will be pursued vigorously by law enforcement, prosecuted by Child Protective Services and brought to justice.'
AI-generated sexual abuse images are bringing new challenges to police work, and other police forces have asked Greater Manchester Police for assistance in new investigations. Detective Inspector Jen Tattersall, who works in the Greater Manchester Police Sex Offender Management Unit, said, 'What makes this case so different from other cases is that it calls into question our view of what an indecent image of a child is.' 'The prevalence of computer-generated images is becoming more and more widespread not only in Greater Manchester Police but also in other police forces, so at some point computer-generated images will go from being the exception to becoming the norm.'
Det Tattersall said the case was the 'first real test' of the law on digitally altered indecent images and that Greater Manchester Police had worked with experts from Child Protection and the National Crime Agency to prosecute.
While there are benefits to AI for law enforcement, Inspector Tattersall also noted that increasingly sophisticated technology could pose significant threats to police, warning that there is a risk that AI technology will evolve faster than existing laws.
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