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Andy Burnham has condemned the 'disturbing' case of a paedophile who photographed women and girls before using AI to make them look nude - while the offender was repeatedly released on bail.
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offender → see → bail
Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed on Thursday for two years and four months after admitting to taking thousands of images of his victims which he then altered using AI technology to 'nudify' them for his own sexual gratification.
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he → jail → gratification
Dogan, who worked as a mechanic, was repeatedly bailed despite the 'risk' he posed locally.
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he → work → risk
While awaiting sentencing he was allowed back to his flat in Enfield, north London -forcing one family who fell victim to his crimes to move into temporary accommodation.
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who → await → accommodation
The decision to let Dogan stay at his flat - which overlooked a children's playground - was criticised by Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley following the trial, who said 'children should be put first, not the paedophile'.
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children → let → trial
Making a statement outside Wood Green Crown Court, Sir Mark explained the family 'ultimately felt forced to move to a distant temporary accommodation, disrupting their lives and disrupting their children's lives, simply to escape being in the neighbourhood of the offender'.
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family → make → offender
The Prime Minister has condemned the 'disturbing' case of a paedophile who photographed women and girls before using AI to make them nude
Zafer Dogan admitted to taking thousands of images of his victims which he then altered using AI technology to 'nudify' them for his own sexual gratification
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said 'children should be put first, not the paedophile' after Dogan was sentenced
'That is simply not acceptable,' he added.
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he → condemn → gratification
'The pressure to reduce the remand population has contributed to more dangerous and prolific offenders being granted bail routinely despite strong submissions from the police and CPS.
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offenders → reduce → police
Now, the Prime Minister has said Sir Mark's viewpoint 'needs to be heard,' and has asked those working in the criminal justice system to make 'necessary changes'.
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viewpoint → say → changes
Speaking on BBC London on Friday, Mr Burnham said: 'It's obviously a matter for the courts when these decisions are made, but obviously they need to hear the voice of the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
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they → speak → Police
The failure to build prison places over a number of years has led to this unacceptable situation.
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failure → build → situation
I don't believe anyone would want this situation to have arisen – it results from that failure to ensure proper planning of prison places in the past.
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it → believe → past
I have to deal with it.'
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I → have → it
Dogan's bail came as the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee warned last year prisons were 'alarmingly full' and operating between 98.0 per cent and 99.7 per cent occupancy between October 2022 and August 2024.
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prisons → come → October
The committee also found the number of prisoners on remand, who are waiting for a trial or sentencing, reached a record high of 17,711 in August 2024.
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who → find → August
Remand and bail decisions are made by independent judges or magistrates.
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decisions → make → judges
Mr Burnham said Sir Mark's viewpoint 'needs to be heard' (Pictured: Dogan outside court)
Andrea Simon, London's victims' commissioner, previously cautioned families 'were grossly failed by the decision' to bail Dogan.
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families → say → Dogan
Ms Simon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'To know that the police and prosecutors opposed bail multiple times, but nevertheless he was returned to the community, is an indication that the capacity pressures on prisons are not being balanced with the impacts that that's having on victims' lives.'
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that → tell → lives
Dogan had previously pleaded guilty to multiple image offences, including making indecent images of children, having been arrested on July 16 on suspicion of offences involving indecent images of children.
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Dogan → plead → children
Prosecutor Sarah Gabay previously told a court investigators discovered 'thousands of images of women and children which seem to have been taken without their consent or their knowledge'.
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which → tell → consent
Ms Gabay said these individuals were 'going about their daily business' in the photographs, which included pictures of children on climbing frames.
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which → say → frames
According to police, Dogan had taken more than 5,000 images, many of which were from his bedroom window which overlooked a playground.
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which → accord → playground
The court was told photos of 33 adult women and two children – aged seven and 13 – were 'digitally altered' using AI software to create sexualised content.
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photos → tell → content
He was arrested again on August 4 and the following day was charged and remanded by police.
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He → arrest → police
Dogan gave no comment interviews after both arrests.
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Dogan → give → arrests
The defendant appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on August 6 and accepted all the charges against him.
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defendant → appear → him
The court heard victim impact statements from the mothers of Dogan's two child victims, who have been kept anonymous for legal reasons.
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who → hear → reasons
The mother of the 13-year-old victim described feeling as if she had been 'punched in the gut' when police officers told her what had happened.
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what → describe → her
She added: 'I'm really worried that my daughter's photos are online and other paedophiles have them.'
The mother of the seven-year-old victim described feeling 'helpless', adding: 'Our lives will never be the same again and I can't do anything about it all because one man exploited my child.'
Another parent said: 'Our lives are turned upside down for ever.
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lives → add → child
no one protects us.
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one → protect → us
According to the prosecutor, Dogan had 'been on conditional bail throughout these proceedings'.
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Dogan → accord → proceedings
Dogan pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, which included 900 category C images, 294 category B images and 653 category A images – which are the most severe.
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which → plead → images
He also admitted possessing extreme pornography, possessing a prohibited image of a child, creating purported intimate images of an adult, obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty and a further two counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
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He → admit → child
Police Constable Natalie Scagliarini, who led the investigation into Dogan, described the case as 'deeply distressing' following sentencing.
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who → lead → sentencing
She said: 'Dogan's actions were predatory and dangerous.
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actions → say → ?
He targeted the most innocent of scenes - children playing or out walking with their parents - and manipulated the photos he took in the most sickening way.
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he → target → way
'The nature of his offending has understandably left those who have learned of it feeling unsettled and violated, not knowing when they might be being watched or photographed and for what purpose.
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they → leave → purpose
'We remain committed to protecting women and children and bringing those who seek to exploit them before the courts, and I thank those affected by Dogan's offending whose bravery and support has helped us to achieve today's result.'
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bravery → remain → result
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