Victim confronts man in Australia's first deepfake porn case
William Hamish Yeates, 20, pleaded guilty to creating fake sexual images of a 19-year-old's graduation photo. He distributed them online.
William Hamish Yeates is the first person prosecuted under federal deepfake laws introduced in 2024. He pleaded guilty to creating and altering sexual material without consent between October 2024 and February 2025.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment via the social media platform X. The 19-year-old victim confronted him in South Australian District Court, saying he had stolen her face and identity.
The victim told Yeates he had made her feel sick every time she saw her own graduation photo. She said his actions were a deliberate choice to dehumanise her.
Yeates was 18 when he committed the offences. He read an apology saying his actions were repulsive and that he would chase redemption.
His lawyer asked the court to consider his youth, remorse, and early plea. He also asked the court to consider his diagnoses, including autism and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder.
- 20 years old
- Offender age
- 19 years old
- Victim age
- October 2024 to February 2025
- Offence period
- 4 counts
- Guilty pleas
Why it mattersThe case sets a legal precedent for deepfake pornography crimes. It shows the real impact on victims.
AustraliaAustralia's landmark deepfake prosecution establishes how new federal laws will be applied to protect people from non-consensual intimate imagery.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 d ago
