John Langdon (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)
Last Updated: 4 April 2026
A 63-year-old care worker has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after sending sexually explicit AI-generated videos to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
John Langdon, of Brickfield Street, Machynlleth, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
The decoy profile
The court heard that in March this year, Langdon made contact on the dating and chat app Just Say Hi with a profile that appeared to belong to a 14-year-old girl. The profile was in fact being operated by members of a so-called paedophile hunter group.
After moving to WhatsApp, Langdon told the decoy he was looking for “fun with the ladies”. When reminded of the decoy’s age, he said he was “fine” with it.
AI-generated videos
Langdon told the decoy he wanted to give her a hug and requested photographs. When an appropriate photo was provided, he used it to create AI-generated videos depicting him and the “girl” hugging and kissing, which he sent back. He then sent a further AI video showing the “girl” being undressed, followed by additional AI-generated videos depicting oral sex.
Confrontation and arrest
Members of the group operating the decoy later attended Langdon’s address and confronted him in an incident that was livestreamed on social media. Police were called and the defendant was arrested.
During his interview, Langdon claimed that once he realised the person was 14, he had only wanted to be her friend. He said he spoke to other 13- and 14-year-olds and had “platonic friendships” with them. He accepted making the AI videos in what he called “a moment of madness” and denied getting any sexual gratification from doing so.
Defence arguments
Caitlin Brazel, representing Langdon, told the court her client had served nine years in the Army before working in a variety of roles, most recently as a care worker for adults with learning difficulties for the past eight years.
She said his “troubled upbringing” had contributed to his mental health difficulties, and that his time in the military “did not help”. She described the offending as out of character and said Langdon had told her he wished he could turn the clock back. She said it remained her instructions that the defendant is not sexually attracted to children.
Sentencing
Judge Paul Thomas KC said there were elements of grooming and deviousness in the defendant’s actions. He noted that Langdon had told the author of the pre-sentence report he was not guilty and had, in effect, been “stitched up” by his legal representative.
The judge told Langdon: “It is clear from the facts of the case you are a man with a significant sexual interest in young girls. In other words you are a paedophile. It is equally clear that you do not – publicly at least – accept you are a paedophile.
“Perhaps you do not want to admit this fact to others.
“Your continued denial that you are a paedophile makes me question the effectiveness of any intervention designed to address this deviancy.”
He added that the author of the pre-sentence report had reached the same conclusion, and said there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the present time.
Langdon, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to 16 months in prison with a one-third discount applied for his guilty pleas. He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.
