A 43-year-old man from Barry has been sentenced after creating hundreds of AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuse using photographs of real celebrities 📱⚖️
Mark Barnfield, of Spires Walk, was arrested on February 28 after police received intelligence regarding indecent images of children at his home. When officers arrived, he told them he had been creating AI images of celebrities and said “I don’t give a f*** on the computer, it’s my mindset.”
Cardiff Crown Court heard on Tuesday that 332 category A images, 91 category B images, 1,014 category C images and four prohibited images were discovered on Barnfield’s ASUS laptop. Prosecutor Abigail Jackson said none depicted real children but were created using AI technology, though they were so realistic they were legally categorised as photographs.
The images showed children aged between two and 14 years old, with the most serious depicting female children being sexually abused by adult men. Examination of Barnfield’s browsing history revealed searches for “porn kids incest” and celebrities including actress Emma Stone, using AI to make them appear younger.
During interview, Barnfield told officers he created the images after he “got bored of pornography”. He denied having a sexual interest in children, claiming he created the AI images to “train himself not to have such an interest”.
Defence barrister Andrew Taylor described his client as a “sad, lonely and vulnerable individual” who “became obsessed” by pornography and making AI images. The court heard Barnfield’s mother has multiple sclerosis and his full-time employed sister would need to care for her if he were imprisoned.
Judge Daniel Williams recognised no real children were depicted but said: “This activity can only fuel the disgusting abuse of such children involved in these images.”
Barnfield pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing prohibited images. He was sentenced to a two-year community order, fined £500, and made subject to a rehabilitation activity requirement of 25 days, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and sex offender notification requirements for five years.
