A man from Tidworth, Wiltshire, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for stalking a woman by sending her AI-generated images and videos falsely depicting her naked. Jakob Ward, 28, used a fake Instagram profile to begin harassing the victim, initially sending an image of her in underwear, followed by a fabricated nude video. His campaign of harassment escalated to sending packages containing items belonging to the victim, including her underwear, along with messages revealing her location and requests to meet.

Authorities were able to identify Ward after he sent the victim a package that included his own semen, which allowed police to match his DNA. Ward also sent other packages containing sex toys and more personal items, further intensifying the campaign.

The victim described the experience as terrifying, stating she feared that someone would break into her home to assault or kill her, and that the ordeal caused her to sleep with a knife under her pillow. She said the harassment made her feel as if she had been sexually assaulted in a difficult-to-explain manner.

Ward pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including stalking, causing serious alarm or distress, theft, creating a purported intimate image of an adult, and possession of cannabis and a knuckleduster. The prosecution characterized his actions as sophisticated, persistent, and sexualized.

At Winchester Crown Court, Judge Christopher Parker KC condemned Ward’s behavior, describing the campaign as "despicable, depraved, and incomprehensible." The judge highlighted the absence of remorse and the ongoing risk posed by Ward, deeming it wholly inappropriate to suspend his sentence. Additionally, a restraining order barring Ward from contacting the victim for ten years was imposed.

During the harassment, Ward sent threatening messages using coordinates from the website What3Words to pinpoint the victim’s location. Despite the victim seeking help at a police station and receiving messages intended to downplay the threat, the stalking continued.

The case underscores the growing use of AI-generated content in facilitating harassment and abuse, raising concerns about the technological methods being exploited by offenders.