'My mind is corrupted': Moment man who created AI child abuse admits 'absolute grotesque' behaviour
Hugh Nelson admitted to police that he was "sexually attracted" to some children and had become "swept up" in creating AI generated image of abuse.
Warning: some readers may find this article upsetting
A man who admitted creating 3D images of child abuse using Artificial Intelligence told police his mind was "corrupted and warped" when questioned.
Hugh Nelson, 27, told police he was "sexually attracted" to children and had become "swept up" in creating the explicit images depicting them being harmed both sexually and physically.
He would accept requests from online chatrooms for the images, before using AI technology on his computer to create the 3D pictures often based on real photographs he had been sent.
Nelson, from Bolton, was finally caught after he began talking to an undercover officer online in May 2023, where he boasted about what he did.
Following his guilty plea he was jailed for 18 years at Bolton Crown Court on Monday, 28 October.
While being questioned by Greater Manchester Police detectives Nelson admitted his "absolute grotesque behaviour" and said he had been creating the images for around two years.
"I would say I am sexually attracted to some kids," he told officers.
"I've been completely swept up in it, it's taken over my life sort of thing. I can't remember how I got on that though.
"I just kind of like fell into this pit of despair and absolute grotesque behaviour and it's just spiralled and spiralled and got worse."
When asked about what he created, and how, he added: "It can just be images of them posing fully clothed, to hardcore rape images. So everything really.
"There's this programme called Daz Studio which is what I've used to create these images.
"I've probably been doing it for about two years and I can probably say they've got worse in nature as I've continued with them.
"It's sick how much it affects your mind, especially when you have no job, you sit at home, you play games, you watch porn and you make these stupid images. My mind is very corrupted and warped."
Bolton Crown Court heard how Nelson had more than 60 characters in total, ranging from six months to middle-aged, and charged £80 to create a new character.
He accepted requests from individuals via online chatrooms for “bespoke” explicit images of children and 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.
DCI Jen Tattersall, Head of Greater Manchester Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “This case is a real testament to how we and criminal justice partners, such as the CPS, can evolve and adapt as offenders do, to ensure we are still able to seek justice for victims, despite new trends and ways of offending.
“Nelson is an extremely dangerous man who thought he could get away with what he was doing by using modern technology. He was wrong and has now felt the full force of the law for his actions.”
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."
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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