Man jailed after using AI to make nude images of children released on bail near playground

You are about to be charged £0.00* Billingper month First billing dateToday DurationMonthly until cancelled *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! Man jailed after using AI to make nude images of children released on bail near playground Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed for two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court this afternoon The fearless champion of Britain, its voices and its values. Join the fight for free speech and fearless journalism. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Community Rules. Don't Miss Most Read Latest A prolific sex offender who secretly photographed women and children and used artificial intelligence to create sexualised images was repeatedly granted bail to his flat overlooking a children’s playground, despite police and prosecutors warning of the risk he posed. Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed for two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court this afternoon, after admitting multiple offences involving indecent images of children, extreme pornography and the creation of intimate images of an adult. The Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service opposed Dogan’s bail on three occasions, citing concerns about him being returned to the same area where some of his offending took place. Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher noted the force’s “frustration” at the court’s decision to repeatedly bail Dogan, who had used AI software to “nudify” images. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say He said the “whole details” of the case were raised in court, “including the fact that he was being bailed to effectively the area where he had been offending”. DCI Kelleher said: “The matters at court went through a series of challenges where the police and CPS opposed bail, opposed his being bailed back to the address, but the courts continued to bail him, and that went through a series of three or four different hearings. “There are certainly frustrations, especially where, like in this case, we identify an offender who’s moved beyond the normal pattern of slightly more passive collecting of material into producing it yourself, and when we then highlight the risk to the court to really try and challenge those systems to put someone into custody.” The court heard Dogan had taken more than 5,000 photographs of women and children without their knowledge or consent. Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed for two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court this afternoon | PA Prosecutor Sarah Gabay said the individuals were “going about their daily business”, with some photographs showing children on climbing frames. Images of 33 adult women and two children, aged seven and 13, were “digitally altered” using AI software to create sexualised content. Dogan was initially arrested on July 16 on suspicion of offences involving indecent images of children. The court heard he “freed himself” from his handcuffs, ran away and discarded his mobile phone into a nearby garden before being stopped and having the device seized. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS He was arrested again on August 4 and charged the following day. At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on August 6, he accepted all the charges and remained on conditional bail throughout the proceedings. The mother of the 13-year-old said she felt as if she had been “punched in the gut” when police officers told her what had happened, and said: “I’m really worried that my daughter’s photos are online and other paedophiles have them.” The mother of the seven-year-old said she felt “helpless”, adding: “Our lives will never be the same again and I can’t do anything about it all because one man exploited my child.” Dogan’s barrister, Joseph Carr, said his client “recognises the profound seriousness” of his offending, and said Dogan had separated from his long-term partner in 2025, where he subsequently “spiralled into depression”. Head of the Met Sir Mark Rowley said the justice system must treat crime victims better after Dogan was bailed back to his flat near a playground |PA Mr Carr said Dogan “fell down the rabbit hole and was unable to find his way out”, yet still acknowledged there was no excuse for his actions. Sentencing Dogan, Judge Alexander Jacobs said: “The offences are so serious that in my judgement only a custodial sentence is justified.” He praised the “bravery” of the victims’ mothers, adding: “As they rightly say, whatever sentence I impose, it will not undo what you did. "No sentence can give those families back what you stole from them through your depraved actions.” He said he was satisfied that all of Dogan’s offending was “completely sexually motivated”, while the Metropolitan Police described Dogan’s actions as “predatory and dangerous”. Police Constable Natalie Scagliarini, who led the investigation, said: “This is a deeply distressing case. Dogan’s actions were predatory and dangerous. "He targeted the most innocent of scenes – children playing or out walking with their parents – and manipulated the photos he took in the most sickening way. “The nature of his offending has understandably left those who have learned of it feeling unsettled and violated, not knowing when they might be being watched or photographed and for what purpose.” Meanwhile, Head of the Met Sir Mark Rowley said the justice system must treat crime victims better after Dogan was bailed back to his flat near a playground, adding: “The children should have been put first, not the paedophile.” A Government Spokesman said: “These were awful crimes and our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. The law is clear that bail should only be used where necessary and proportionate, including to protect victims, witnesses and the public while investigations and court proceedings are ongoing. "We’ve brought in tough new laws to ban AI tools designed to create child sexual abuse images, target websites that spread them and stop this vile material being created in the first place.”