A Rothesay Paedophile creep, Risto Bergman, could be facing jail after being caught with AI-generated child abuse images, in what is believed to be one of the first such convictions in Scotland.
Risto Bergman, who moved to Scotland from his native Finland, was found to have the sick images on a computer at his former flat in the Renfrewshire town.
The 42-year-old, Risto Bergman, who said on social media he was “interested in IT,” created the images after typing into an AI programme what he wanted it to create.
Risto Bergman admitted his guilt at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, where the court heard he also used the software to create images featuring himself, reports the Daily Record.
The Finnish national pleaded guilty to a charge of making “indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children” in breach of Section 52(1)(a) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
Risto Bergman admitted that between June 26 and July 25, 2023, he made the photographs at his then-home, a flat in Love Street.
Procurator Fiscal Depute Karen Yuill told the court officers from Police Scotland attended Risto Bergman’s then-home on December 1, 2023, and searched the property.
She explained: “Police witnesses attended in possession of a search warrant. They seized multiple devices. They took multiple devices for examination.
“A black tower unit, which the accused identified as being his property, was seized. A joint cyber crime report was produced which indicated 23 indecent images of children were on the device.”
They were all still images with five rated as category A images – the most extreme there is – and 18 rated as being category C images, the least extreme.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard “recognised search terms” had been entered into the AI programme to make indecent images of children, and two images of Risto Bergman himself were also found on the device.
The images of him had been created using the same AI programme as the one used to create indecent images of children, and he was taken to the police station.
When interviewed by cops he made no comment to the questions he was asked, and he was later arrested for the offences, before appearing in court to admit his guilt.
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill told Bergman he would be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register due to being convicted of the offences, and called for a criminal justice social work report and Restriction of Liberty Order assessment to be prepared.
A Restriction of Liberty Order would see Risto Bergman fitted with an electronic tag and having to abide by a daily curfew which would see him remaining within his home during specified hours.
Sentencing of Risto Bergman, who now lives in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, was adjourned until next month for background reports, and consideration of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order being imposed.
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order would see limits placed on his freedom if he were to receive a non-custodial sentence and allowed to remain within the community.
Conditions can include not being allowed to visit places with children, being banned from deleting your internet browsing history, and being forbidden from using the internet on an unmonitored device.
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