A 27-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a number of offences relating to the use of computer technology to create child sexual abuse content, in a landmark case for Greater Manchester Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT).

Hugh Nelson (08/01/1997) of Briggsfold Road, Bolton pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court today (Friday 9 August 2024) to 11 offences; 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.

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

Detective Constable Carly Baines from GMP’s OCAIT team led the investigation, and said, “What makes this case particularly unique and deeply horrifying is that 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.

“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’. Not only was he creating and selling these images, but he was engaging in depraved sexualised chat online about children 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.

“This case is a first in our area, and is a landmark case nationally, as technology continues to develop, grow, and become more frequently used for a variety of reasons. We’ve worked incredibly closely with several teams, including national investigation units and a specialist solicitor and prosecutor from the national Crown Prosecution Service team, to gather the strongest possible evidence to present, and to determine how to proceed. This case has been a real test of the legislation, 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.

“This operation has since gone global with further arrests made and safeguarding referrals made in various cities and countries across the UK and the world.

“Ultimately, it has been that strong partnership working and determination to push the boundaries which have led us to today’s result, giving Nelson no option but to accept responsibility for his crimes and the impact they have undoubtedly had.

“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.

“This investigation represents a continuation of how policing and criminal justice partners are constantly broadening their capabilities to deal with new technologies as they emerge, with the commitment to protecting children and removing predators from the streets unwavering.

“I hope the public are reassured by the tenacity of this collective effort to hold online child abusers to account, and that no matter what methods they attempt to use, we will be there to catch them out and take proactive action. Even though the images created and distributed in this case were computer generated and not child abuse images in the traditional sense, behaviour of this nature will absolutely not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.”

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 traumatic impact on victims. Real children are being victimised through the creation of this content, and in some instances, children who have already suffered abhorrent sexual abuse are having their image used again to recreate new abuse scenarios upon the request and demand from dark corners of the internet.

“Technology is rapidly evolving and, unfortunately, so too is its risk to children. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit this technology in the worst possible way and inflict harm on children will be robustly pursued by law enforcement, prosecuted by the CPS and brought to justice.”

How to report

Information on online child abuse can be found on our website here Advice for parents, guardians and professionals | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk).

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. Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, please report your concerns. Your information could help our trained officers and staff protect the child.

If you suspect someone is in immediate danger, call 999 now. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.

If it isn’t an emergency, please get in touch in any of these other ways:

• call our 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