RAF soldier jailed for deepfake harassment of women
A Royal Air Force veteran was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfake images of four women, including his ex-wife, on pornography websites using their personal information. The victims reported severe damage to their careers, personal safety, and psychological wellbeing.
What happened
Jonathan Bates, 54, a Royal Air Force veteran, created sexually explicit deepfake photos of four women by superimposing their photos onto naked bodies. He posted these images to pornography and sex websites between 2017 and 2022, using the fake profiles to advertise sexual services in the victims' names.
Reported impact
The victims reported severe personal and professional harm. One victim had to leave her job due to damaged professional reputation. Victims received unwanted visits and street approaches from people seeking the sexual services advertised under their names. All four women reported living in fear, humiliation, and emotional and psychological distress.
Index analysis
Bates created the deepfakes by collecting personal photos and details from the victims' social media accounts, including names, addresses, phone numbers and employment information. Police recovered nine USBs from his home containing thousands of pornographic images of the women.
Governance controls
Bates pleaded guilty to four counts of stalking and one count of revenge porn. He was sentenced to five years in prison on 2 January 2025 at Truro Crown Court in Cornwall.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.