The Landmark Guilty Plea
William Hamish Yeates, 19, pleaded guilty to creating or altering sexual material without consent, distributing it, and using a carriage service in a harassing or offensive way. He became the first person charged under Australia's new national law against manipulating sexual images.
Charges and Court Details
Yeates faced 20 Commonwealth charges initially, but prosecutors withdrew some after his plea. The court heard Yeates had distributed images of his alleged victim across multiple X accounts without her consent. A court hearing for Yeates is set for next month, with a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
The Rise of Deepfake Abuse
Experts describe deepfake pornography as a growing form of image-based abuse targeting women and girls. She added that 98% of deepfake material online consists of pornographic videos, with 99% featuring women and girls.
The sources also report that explicit deepfakes have increased by 550% year on year since 2019.
Links to Global Networks
In Germany, Zhongyi J*, 28, was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder and seven counts of aggravated rape. J* belonged to a Telegram chat group where members shared images of crimes, including discussions of sedatives. This group, called the "German Driving School," involved eight men who targeted Chinese women as their victims.
How Abusers Operate Online
The Telegram group used code words like "looking for a car" for seeking victims and "dead pigs" for sedated women. Dapeng Z*, the group's ringleader, drugged and raped multiple women, documenting assaults with devices such as a GoPro. Another member, Tong Z*, was convicted in August 2025 for similar acts, including hidden camera recordings.
Legal Precedents and Reforms
Australia's eSafety Commission has pushed to ban apps that alter images without consent. In Germany, Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig plans to criminalize the distribution of such images. A judge in Munich called J*'s crimes "monstrous acts," highlighting the global nature of these offenses.
Impact on Victims and Society
Victims in these cases often did not know about the abuse until police intervened. Charlotte Hirz, a psychologist at LARA, noted that dehumanization in online groups fuels such behavior. This trend underscores risks to personal safety for internet users everywhere, as chat groups share recordings of assaults.
What Happens Next
Yeates will appear in court next month for sentencing under the new law. Germany's ongoing investigations into the Telegram group may lead to more trials. These cases demonstrate how stronger digital laws can protect individuals from AI-driven harm in everyday life.
For example, experts noted that explicit deepfakes have increased on the internet by as much as 550% year on year since 2019.