Heathfield man avoids jail for possessing AI-generated child abuse images
He had previously received an 18-month suspended sentence
A man from Heathfield, East Sussex, has avoided a prison sentence after being caught with more illegal content while serving a suspended sentence for possessing AI-generated child sex abuse images.
40-year-old James Castell was sentenced to an 18-month community order, along with additional unpaid work and rehabilitation activities, at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday.
He had previously received an 18-month suspended sentence for two years at the same court in December.
According to Sussex Police, Castell was among the first in the county to be sentenced for using artificial intelligence to create child sex abuse content.
In February, Castell admitted to possessing eight prohibited images, generated by AI and downloaded from a platform known as X, which defense counsel Rebecca Upton noted were "readily available."
Upton stated that Castell had misunderstood that images of clothed children from an open-source social media site were prohibited.
"The images were a mix of cartoons and manipulated photographs putting a child’s face on them," the court heard.
The probation visit where the images were discovered also led officers to notice apps named Grok and X on Castell’s phone, capable of generating deepfake images.
Despite rehabilitation activities ordered in December yet to commence, his family is privately supporting him with assistance.
Judge Jeremy Gold KC described the situation as “very unusual” due to the images being solely AI-generated and not involving real children.
"You are walking a very fine line," he warned Castell during sentencing. "You have escaped a custodial sentence by the skin of your teeth."
In December, Castell faced charges related to possessing indecent or pseudo photographs of a child, possessing a prohibited image, and distributing such content.
His devices seized upon arrest contained over 3,800 indecent images of children, including over 600 belonging to the most severe category, dating back to 2016.
AI software used for text-based image creation was also discovered among his possessions.
Sussex Police's detective chief inspector Luke Kyriakides-Yeldham commented, noting Castell's disregard for children’s safety in pursuit of his own gratification.
He added, "Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving technology, and cases such as this show criminals will use AI for their own ends."