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Teen Pleads Guilty in Australia’s First Deepfake Porn Case

Prosecutors say the case tests new laws targeting non‑consensual AI sexual images.

Overview

  • William Hamish Yeates, 19, pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court to four charges, including two counts of creating or altering sexual material without consent.
  • Prosecutors said he also admitted two counts of using a carriage service in a harassing or offensive way, a separate online communication offence.
  • The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew most of the original counts after the pleas, narrowing the case to four admitted offences.
  • Court documents say Yeates shared manipulated images on X that purported to show the victim’s breasts without consent over multiple dates in 2024 and 2025.
  • The matter has been sent to South Australia’s District Court for a committal for sentence hearing, and the federal deepfake offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.