Heathfield man sentenced for creating child sex images using AI

A Heathfield man found with thousands of illicit pictures has become one of the first in the county to be sentenced for creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

James Castell, 40, of High Street in Heathfield, came to the attention of Sussex Police in October, 2024, when he was linked to the online distribution of an indecent image of a child. The image appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Shortly after, Castell was arrested by officers from the force’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT), who searched his home and seized a number of digital devices.

The devices were found to contain over 3,800 indecent images of children, including  640 of the most serious, Category A images. Indecent images in Category A depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality and/or sadism.

The date range of the images stretched as far back as 2016.

AI software was also found that uses text to generate images, alongside evidence that Castell was responsible for distributing the initial AI indecent image and searches online that indicated a sexual interest in children.

Castell was subsequently charged with three counts of possession of an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child and distributing an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child.

He appeared at Hastings Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 8 October, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.

At Lewes Crown Court on Friday (19 December), he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly controlling his use of digital devices and access to children. He will also be a registered sex offender for ten years, and order to complete rehabilitation activity and 240 hours of community work.

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Kyriakides-Yeldham said: “Every child sex abuse image created or shared fuels this despicable industry, and James Castell has shown absolutely no regard for children’s safety in pursuit of his own gratification.

“The scale of his offending, and wider online activity, shows an offender with a committed sexual interest in children as young as three years old.

“Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving technology, and cases such as this show criminals will use AI for their own ends.

“Make no mistake, the use of AI to create indecent images of children is an offence. We are working hard with our partners to identify those creating and distributing these images, and we will take robust action against perpetrators.”