A shy and socially isolated man "desperately wanted validation" when he created indecent images of children using artificial intelligence (A

Man faces jail over AI-generated child sex images

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2024-10-23 20:30:15

A shy and socially isolated man "desperately wanted validation" when he created indecent images of children using artificial intelligence (AI) to sell to other paedophiles, a court heard.

Hugh Nelson, 27, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, accepted requests in online chatrooms for "bespoke" explicit computer-generated images depicting children being harmed.

The ex-student with a Masters in graphics, who admitted 11 offences, also used images of real children for some AI "artwork", Bolton Crown Court heard.

Judge Martin Walsh said the case, which police have called "a landmark" prosecution, was "difficult and troubling" and he would sentence Nelson on Monday as he needed to reflect carefully on it.

Nelson frequently discussed child sexual abuse with other chatroom users and on three separate occasions encouraged the rape of children aged under 13, the court heard.

David Toal, prosecuting, said the case resulted from Operation Influence, an investigation into the "creation and developing trends of AI in relation to child sexual exploitation".