October 23rd 2024.
Karl Marshall, a 47-year-old man from Southport, has recently been sentenced to two years and two months in jail for committing several sex offences. These offences include creating and sharing digitally altered indecent images of children and women, commonly known as 'deepfakes'. Marshall pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent photographs of a child, sharing intimate photos or videos for sexual gratification, and voyeurism. He was sentenced on October 22nd at the Liverpool Crown Court.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a 'deepfake' is an image or video that has been manipulated using Artificial Intelligence to replace the face of one person with someone else's. Unfortunately, there have been numerous instances of individuals using this technology to add the faces of celebrities or public figures, often women, into pornographic material. In this case, Marshall used the faces of real women and children without their knowledge to create these disturbing images, which he then shared online.
During the period between July 2023 and January 2024, Marshall created a shocking 266 indecent pseudo-images of children using AI technology. One of the women whose face was used in these images provided a Victim Impact Statement, expressing how violated and objectified she felt knowing that these images were circulating online. She also shared how this experience has impacted her self-confidence and trust in others. Another victim stated that she now feels unsafe and constantly worries if others have seen the images of her.
Detective Sergeant Rory Quigley, who led the investigation, spoke out about the severity of Marshall's actions. He emphasized that the creation and distribution of digitally altered images is not a victimless crime, especially when the identities of real women are used without their consent. He also urged anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse or knows of a child being abused to come forward and report it to the police.
In closing, Detective Sergeant Quigley reiterated the commitment of Merseyside Police to protecting children from sexual abuse and bringing justice to those who seek to do them harm. He encouraged victims to come forward and report any abuse, assuring them that specially trained officers will handle their cases with sensitivity and compassion. Let us all work together to end the despicable behaviour displayed by individuals like Karl Marshall.
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