A man from the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter and transform a regular picture of real children into sexual abuse images.
Described as the first prosecution of its kind in the UK, 27-year-old Hugh Nelson, from Bolton, was convicted of 16 child sexual abuse offences in August. This was after an investigation carried out by the Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Nelson was also found guilty of encouraging other offenders to commit rape.
According to the police, Nelson had used a computer programme with an AI function, Daz 3D, to transform the regular images of real children into sexual abuse imagery. The police also discovered that many of these AI-generated images were commissioned by paedophiles who were supplying Nelson with photographs of children with whom they had contact in real life.
The images so generated were then sold in internet chatrooms, where Nelson also discussed child sexual abuse with other offenders. He allegedly made about £5,000 in 18 months by selling the child sexual abuse images online.
Nelson caught charging £80 to create new child sexual abuse images
While there have been previous convictions for “deepfakes”, which typically involve one face being transferred to another body, Hugh Nelson created 3D “characters” from innocent photographs
According to court documents, Nelson was eventually caught after he told an undercover police officer in an online chatroom that he charged £80 to create a new character, using supplied pictures. According to a prosecution team member, David Toal, Nelson enthusiastically told the undercover police that:
“I’ve done beatings, smotherings, hangings, drownings, beheadings, necro, beast, the list goes on’ with a laughing emoji.”
Toal also said that when Nelson was arrested in June last year, he said he felt vile and that his mind was corrupted. He also considered that his offending had gotten out of control. When police searched his devices, they discovered that he had exchanged messages encouraging the rape of children under 13 with three separate individuals.
During the course of the investigation, officers also discovered that his collaborators as well as victims spread worldwide, including in Italy, France and the faraway United States. He was eventually found guilty of encouraging the rape of a child under 13, attempting to incite a boy under 16 to engage in a sexual act, distributing and making indecent images, and possessing prohibited images.
Nelson appeared in the dock wearing a waistcoat and tie. He waved to his parents in the public gallery as he came into court, but sat with his head down for most of the hearing.
Nelson’s lawyer, Robert Elias did not deny the allegations but only defended the forlorn client saying he had lived a “lonely bedroom life in his parents’ home”.
“What he was seeking primarily was validation, congratulations and a sense of belonging in a community. He was earning relatively small amounts of money and desperately wanted validation. He plunged down the rabbit hole to this sort of fantasy life and became completely engrossed in it. He has brought his life crashing down around him, to the shock and horror of his immediate family,” the lawyer said.
Speaking at the hearing, specialist prosecutor for the Child Protection Services, (CPS), Jeanette Smith, described it as extremely disturbing that Nelson was able to take normal photographs of children and, using AI tools and a computer program, transform them and create images of the most depraved nature to sell and share online.
“Technology is rapidly evolving and, unfortunately, so too is its risk to children. I hope this conviction sends a clear message to those who exploit this technology and inflict harm on children: you will be robustly pursued by law enforcement, prosecuted by the CPS and brought to justice,” Smith said.
