A Creswell man who used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate hundreds of indecent still images of children has been handed a suspended sentence.

Officers found more than 1,900 images on Thomas Rowley’s computer. Of those, 882 were graded as category A – depicting the most severe kinds of abuse.

In addition, 532 category B and 557 category C images were discovered on his devices.

The images recovered from Rowley’s two devices – his phone and computer – were a mix of images generated by AI based on Rowley’s prompts, and indecent images downloaded from the internet.

Rowley went on to plead guilty to three counts of making indecent pseudo-photographs of children between 9 January 2021 and 9 January 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing 21 prohibited images of children when he was arrested on 9 January 2024.

Rowley, of Old School Lane, Creswell, was handed a two-year suspended sentence when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (27 May).

The 43-year-old was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order that will tightly restrict his online activities and require the offender to register any devices he uses with the police. Rowley was also placed on the sex offender’s register for the next ten years.

PC Summer Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police’s public protection team, said: “We take these types of crimes very seriously and will always do everything we can to protect vulnerable young people and ensure that individuals involved in this sort of criminality are brought to justice.

“This depraved act involving the use of AI is treated just as severely as using actual photographs. Offenders who are thinking of engaging with this type of activity will be caught and face the full consequences of their actions.”