'Dangerous and depraved' man who used AI to create images of child sexual abuse jailed for 18 years
Correspondent Tim Scott reports on what detectives have described as a "landmark" case.
Warning: some readers may find this article upsetting
An "extremely dangerous" paedophile who used AI to help him create "depraved" 3D images of children from real pictures sent to him online has been jailed for almost two decades.
Hugh Nelson, 27, accepted requests from individuals via online chatrooms for “bespoke” explicit images depicting children being harmed both sexually and physically.
He used a computer programme to transform normal everyday photographs into the indecent sexual abuse imagery, before then selling them on.
Nelson even boasted of how he was providing "a valuable service" to those who were could not harm their "nieces, daughters etc" while also admitting what he was doing "could get me jail time".
He also continued to talk with others online about the images, as well as encouraging those interested to commit physical offences such as rape against children they knew or were related to.
Passing sentence, Recorder Walsh said: "These harrowing and sickening images were forwarded by you for financial gain. So far as you were concerned the undercover officer was just another anonymous customer.
"You had no regard to or concern for the potential consequences of the distribution of the images that you had created."He said it was 'impossible to know' whether a child was raped of sexually abused as a result of Nelson's encouragement, adding he was 'not to be sentenced on the basis that an act or acts of rape did in fact take place'."However, you had no idea of the true identity of those with whom you were communicating or as to what might in fact happen as a result of the encouragement that you were giving," he continued.
"You had no idea how far and wide the images that you created would be distributed by others and to what purpose they would be put."It is, it should be stressed, implicit in your pleas that you intended to encourage or to offer assistance to those with whom you were communicating with to engage in the rape of a child."
Bolton Crown Court heard how "shy and socially isolated" Nelson "desperately wanted validation" when he created the images.
He was unmasked as the administrator of a paedophile chatroom when he engaged in a conversation with an undercover officer in May 2023.
David Toal, prosecuting, said: “The defendant said he had over 60 characters in total, ranging from six months to middle-aged, and he charged £80 to create a new character."
Nelson, who had no previous convictions, was arrested at his family home in Egerton in June 2023, and told police he had a sexual interest mainly in girls aged about 12.
The former student, with a Masters degree in graphics, said he had met like-minded people on the internet and eventually began to create images for sale as he considered his offending “had got out of control”.
Various devices were seized and were found to contain a large quantity of indecent images as well as chats online with adults in France, Italy and the United States regarding the sexual exploitation and rape of children, although there was no evidence before the court to say any child had been sexually or physically assaulted.
"I fell into this despair and grotesque behaviour": Nelson has been jailed for 18 years.
Bob Elias, defending, said Nelson was a “shy, gauche man” who led a “lonely, socially isolated existence” in his bedroom at his family home.
He said: “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.”
Nelson had recognised the depravity of his actions and had apologised for them in a letter to the judge, the court heard.
The defendant pleaded guilty to various sexual offences including intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of the rape of a child under the age of 13, making and distributing indecent images of children and attempting to incite a child aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
He was sentenced on Monday, 28 October, to 18 years imprisonment with an additional six years on extended licence at Bolton Crown Court.
Jeanette Smith, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The misuse of emerging technology to create this material is a serious crime which can have a real impact on victims. Real children are being victimised through the creation of this content.
“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.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jen Tattershall, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "He is a very dangerous and depraved individual who was encouraging people to commit actual physical offences against very vulnerable children and with him being in custody that means there are some children who are safer off as a result.
"He has openly admitted that he has a sexual interest in children which is first and foremost one of the primary motivators for this type of offending.
"The nature of his offending has demonstrated that the images that have been created have become more graphic as time has gone on, and as a result of that obviously you can't predict what he could have gone on to do but it was an indicator that he was becoming more and more sophisticated in what he was producing."
Information on online child abuse can be found on the Greater Manchester Police website.
If you are a victim of online child abuse, or worried for the safety or wellbeing of a child, find out below all the different ways you can get in touch.
If you suspect someone is in immediate danger, call 999 now. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use textphone service 18000 or text 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
If it is not an emergency, get in touch in any of these other ways:
Call police non-emergency, 24/7 number: 101. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service on 18001 101
Visit a police station to speak to an officer in person
Contact the NSPCC to speak to a professional practitioner
Contact the children's social care team at your local council
Contact Fearless confidentially and anonymously
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