An individual, Neil Darlington Stoke Paedophile, who engaged in the act of paedophilia and utilised artificial intelligence (AI) in an attempt to coerce underage females into sharing obscene pictures has had his prison sentence extended.
Neil Darlington, a 52-year-old individual, received a one-year prison sentence in June from Stoke Crown Court. This was due to his use of artificial intelligence to alter images of fully clothed young girls, transforming them into sexually explicit pictures. Additionally, he made threats to distribute these images to the children’s family and friends.
The youngsters were used as distractions by the police. Still, Neil Darlington admitted to committing ten crimes, which included producing explicit photos of children and extorting two girls whom he believed were 11 and 14 years old. He claimed to have met them in an internet chat room.
The Solicitor General referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal, contending that it was excessively lenient.
On Wednesday, a panel of three judges agreed to extend his sentence from one year to three years and impose an indefinite registration as a sex offender.
Lord Justice Bean, along with Mrs Justice Cutts and Mr Justice Murray, stated that although a “small decrease in the sentence can be considered due to the non-existence of the two children”, this is counterbalanced by the necessity, in our opinion, to increase the sentence to account for the lesser offences, including the possession of a significant number of indecent photographs over a prolonged period. We are setting aside the ridiculous sentence of the previous judge.
Suki Dhadda, on behalf of the Solicitor General, stated that Neil Darlington continued to insist on his demands and disregarded the pleadings and expressions of fear from the children, even though they were not genuine.
Robert Holt, representing Neil Darlington, contended that while the punishment may appear moderate, it is not too lenient.
During his court appearance, he stated that his period in custody had been a valuable and instructive experience for Neil Darlington. Furthermore, he mentioned that his imprisonment occurred during a period of excessive inmate population in prisons.
“The individual who received this prison sentence has experienced more significant effects than others who are more prone to criminal behaviour,” he stated.
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