A 25-year-old man from Glasgow created nude deepfakes of a woman he knew in high school and sent them to his friends.
The man, Callum Brooks from Easterhouse, appeared before the Sheriff Court and admitted his crime. On 24 June 2022, he used artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally alter two photographs the woman had shared on social media. He changed the images to show her naked without her knowledge or consent.
Victim Felt Humiliated
The woman discovered the deepfakes and felt “immediately embarrassed and humiliated.” Prosecutors said the offence ranks among the first deepfake cases to reach a Scottish court.
Brooks admitted he disclosed the intimate images without consent. The Sheriff fined him £335 for the offence.
Brooks told the court that his actions carried “no sexual element.” The Crown accepted his explanation.
Deepfakes and AI Abuse
Deepfakes use advanced software to convincingly replace one person’s likeness with another. While creators sometimes use the technology for entertainment or parody, abusers now use it for harassment, blackmail, and misinformation.
Brooks deliberately took social media photos of his victim, turned them into sexually explicit content, and circulated them among his friends.
Lawmakers Respond to Growing Threat
The UK government promised earlier this year to create a specific offence targeting the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes. Current law already criminalises the sharing of intimate images without consent, but campaigners argue that new offences must address AI-driven image abuse directly.
In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney confirmed that his government will study whether Scotland needs its own legislation. He also said ministers will work with Westminster to extend any new laws north of the border.
A Global Challenge
Experts warn that deepfake abuse represents a growing global problem. Easy-to-use AI tools allow anyone to create fake explicit material, leaving victims open to humiliation, blackmail, and reputational damage.
In this case, Brooks caused serious harm to a woman he once knew. Lawmakers now face pressure to act quickly before more victims suffer the same fate
