‘Depraved’ stalker who sent victim AI-generated video of herself naked is jailed
Jakob Ward, 28, has been jailed for a stalking campaign in which he used a fake Instagram account to send a woman AI-generated intimate images and videos of herself. The case highlights how fabricated sexual images can be used to intimidate and distress someone, alongside other forms of harassment.
Ward also sent packages containing the woman’s underwear, sex toys and a bag of his own semen; DNA from the bag helped police identify him. The victim said she feared someone would break into her home and slept with a knife under her pillow. Ward admitted stalking causing serious alarm or distress and other offences, and received a 32-month sentence and a 10-year restraining order.
- Ward used AI-generated intimate images to stalk a woman.
- DNA from a package helped police identify him.
- He was jailed for 32 months and given a 10-year restraining order.
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Stalking is repeated unwanted behaviour that causes someone serious alarm or distress. It can include online contact and sending items to a person’s home, as well as following or watching them.
AI tools can create realistic-looking intimate images or videos of someone without using genuine footage. Such fabricated material can be sent to threaten or humiliate a person, and the images may be false even when they appear convincing.
In this case, police linked the online harassment and packages sent to the woman to Jakob Ward; DNA evidence helped identify him. The case shows how digital fabrication can be combined with offline harassment, leaving victims fearful for their safety.