A registered sex offender from Strood has become the first person in Kent to admit to creating sexually explicit AI deepfakes. The conviction follows the introduction of new legislation in February 2026, which made it strictly illegal to generate such images using real people without their consent.
The individual, aged 28, was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) from a previous conviction, which mandated the installation of monitoring software on his mobile phone. In March, this software alerted officers that explicit material involving individuals who appeared to be underage was being viewed on the device.
A subsequent forensic review of the phone revealed that photos of adult women and a child had been harvested from social media. These images were then uploaded to an artificial intelligence platform to place the victims into sexually explicit scenarios. Furthermore, investigators from the North Kent management of sexual offenders team discovered that the offender had created several online aliases unknown to the police and had frequented websites designed to wipe internet browsing history. Both actions constituted direct breaches of his SHPO.
Following an arrest on Wednesday 10 June 2026, charges were authorised the next day for creating purported intimate images of two people without consent, possessing indecent images of a child, and breaching a SHPO.
The offender appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 11 June, where a guilty plea was entered for all offences. He has been remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing at Maidstone Crown Court on a date yet to be confirmed.
Commenting on the landmark case, a senior detective from the investigating team noted that as AI usage continues to rise, updated legislation is vital to tackle modern criminality. They emphasised that using technology to fabricate intimate images is by no means a victimless crime and causes immense distress to those targeted. The officer concluded with a stark warning that while this may be the county’s first conviction of its kind, anyone engaging in similar behaviour will be actively pursued by law enforcement.