An IT enthusiast residing in Scotland is facing potential imprisonment after admitting to creating illegal child abuse images using artificial intelligence (AI) software at his former home in Paisley. The case is believed to be one of the first convictions in Scotland involving AI-generated indecent images of children.

Risto Bergman, a 42-year-old Finnish national who relocated to Scotland, pled guilty at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday to charges under Section 52(1)(a) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, for making “indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.” The offences occurred between 26 June and 25 July 2023 at his flat in Love Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Procurator Fiscal Depute Karen Yuill provided details of the investigation, explaining that Police Scotland officers executed a search warrant at Bergman’s former residence on 1 December 2023. “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,” Yuill told the court.

Among the images found, five were categorised as Category A, denoting the most extreme material, while 18 were ranked as Category C, the least severe classification. The court was also informed that Bergman had used recognised search terms within the AI programme to generate the indecent child images. Additionally, the software was employed to create two images depicting Bergman himself.

During police interviews, Bergman declined to respond to questions. He was subsequently arrested before appearing in court to admit the charges against him. Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill indicated that Bergman would be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and ordered preparation of a criminal justice social work report, alongside an assessment for a Restriction of Liberty Order (RLO).

An RLO would require Bergman to wear an electronic tag and adhere to a curfew, restricting his movements to within his home during specific hours. Sentencing was deferred until next month to allow for these background reports and to consider the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The SHPO, if applied, would impose conditions such as restricting access to places frequented by children, prohibiting deletion of internet browsing history, and banning internet use on unmonitored devices. At present, Bergman resides in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.

This case highlights the emerging challenges law enforcement faces with regard to AI-generated illegal content. The Paisley Sheriff Court proceedings reflect a legal response to the production and possession of digitally created indecent images involving minors.

Source: Noah Wire Services