Bolton

Bolton man pleads guilty to creating child sexual abuse content using AI

This is being described as a "landmark case", not just for GMP but also nationally.

Emily Sergeant - 12th August 2024

A man from Bolton has pleaded guilty to a number of offences relating to the use of computer technology to create child sexual abuse content.

In what is being described as a “landmark case”, not just for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) but also nationally, Hugh Nelson, from the Greater Manchester town of Bolton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court last week (Friday 9 August 2024) and pleaded guilty to 11 offences in total.

According to GMP, the 27-year-old pleased guilty to three counts of encouraging the rape of a child under 13, one count of attempting to incite a boy under 16 to engage in a sexual act, three counts each of the distribution and making of indecent images, and one count of possessing prohibited images.

He also pleaded guilty to publishing an obscene article, and four counts of distributing indecent pseudo photographs of children, at an earlier court appearance back in July 2023.

Detective Constable Carly Baines, from GMP’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) – which led the investigation – said this case is “particularly unique” and “deeply horrifying”.

Nelson was using computer programme Daz 3D, with an AI function within it, to transform images of real children, normal everyday photographs, into indecent child sexual abuse imagery, selling these to people online.

We hope this conviction will set a precedent for the future.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 9, 2024

“Nelson was using computer programme Daz 3D, with an AI function within it, to transform images of real children, normal everyday photographs, into indecent child sexual abuse imagery, selling these to people online, as well as providing them for free,” DC Baines explained.

“It became clear to us after extensive trawls of his many devices by digital forensic experts, however, that his behaviour went far beyond what clearly he was seeing as a ‘business opportunity’, as not only was he creating and selling these images, but he was engaging in depraved sexualised chat online about childrenm and going as far as to encourage people interested in his online content to commit contact offences such as rape against children they knew or were related to.”

DC Baines said the OCAIT worked “incredibly closely” with several teams across the country on this case, including national investigation units, and a specialist solicitor and prosecutor from the national Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, to gather the “strongest possible evidence to present”, and to determine how to proceed.

A Bolton man has pleaded guilty to creating child sexual abuse content using AI / Credit: Google Maps

“This case has been a real test of the legislation,” DC Baines continued, “as using computer programmes in this particular way is so new to this type of offending and isn’t specifically mentioned within current UK law.

“What this case will do is set a precedent for future cases, but hopefully also play a role in influencing what future legislation looks like, to ensure offenders can continue to feel the full force of the law.

“I understand that computers, including AI enabled programmes, can be an incredibly useful and important tool, including for police forces, in particular teams working in the online space like us, but it’s clear from this case how dangerous it can also be when put into the wrong hands.”

Nelson currently awaits sentencing on 25 September 2024.

Featured Image – GMP