First Australian deepfake porn case nets suspended sentence
William Yeates, 20, received a two-year-three-month sentence for creating deepfake sexual images but avoided jail.
William Yeates became the first Australian charged under federal deepfake pornography laws from 2024. Yeates admitted making and sharing sexually explicit AI-generated images of a teenage girl on online platforms in 2024 and 2025.
At the time of the offending, Yeates was 18. A District Court judge sentenced him to two years three months.
But the judge released him on a recognisance order with conditions to behave well. The judge found his offending came from obsessional thinking, not malice.
The judge said autism spectrum disorder and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder played a role in his actions. His victim told the court the fake images deeply affected her.
She first saw her Year 12 graduation photo on a pornography website. The judge noted this offending disproportionately targets women and girls.
- 18
- Offender age at time
- 2 years 3 months
- Sentence length
- Ero Me and X
- Platforms used
- Anne Barnett
- Judge
Why it mattersThe case tests how courts balance mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions against harm from non-consensual sexual images. It sets a precedent under new Australian law.
AustraliaAustralian deepfake pornography laws now have their first test case outcome, with courts balancing defendant circumstances against victim harm as these crimes become more prevalent.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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