Teenager tells court of 'painfully real' impact of deepfake images

A 19-year-old woman has spoken out in court about the "painfully real" impact of sexually explicit deepfake images created and shared by 20-year-old William Hamish Yeates.

Yeates, of Netherby, appeared in South Australia's District Court for a pre-sentence hearing after pleading guilty to two counts of creating or altering sexual material without consent earlier this year.

The offending, which occurred between October 2024 and February 2025, involved the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of the woman that Yeates shared online.

The woman, supported by over a dozen family members and friends, delivered her victim impact statement to the court, saying: "For a long time, I've carried the shame of something that was never my fault. Today, I'm here to give that shame back to the person it belongs to."

She continued: "I want to make it very clear, these images of me were fake but the impact they had is painfully real."

Impact of the deepfake images

In her statement, the teenager said the first time she saw her graduation picture was on a pornography website.

"Knowing that my graduation photo was taken and used with such a corrupt context has been one of the hardest things for me to process," she said.

"The first time I saw my actual graduation picture was on a pornography website beside altered videos of me with my full name and school attached to it."

"Every time I now see that photo, I feel sick. You took a memory that was supposed to represent achievement, friendship and happiness and turned it into something so painful."

The 19-year-old said the discovery of Yeates's offending resulted in the "darkest period" of her life but said she would not let it define her.

"Despite everything I will refuse to let what you did to me define me forever," she said.

"I am not your victim, Will. I am a survivor. You tried to reduce me to an image on a screen, but I am so much more than that."

Yeates's apology

Yeates read an apology to his victim in which he said the harm he caused the girl was "unintended".

"My actions were repulsive and will continue to plague my mind for as long as I breathe," he said.

Background and sentencing

Yeates's defence barrister, Jane Powell SC, told the court that a psychologist had diagnosed Yeates with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that a report mentioned a diagnosis of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD).

She said he developed "a sense of an obsession" with the victim and was influenced by online communities and individuals, including Andrew Tate.

The prosecutor from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) opposed Ms Powell's submission that Yeates not be sentenced to time behind bars, saying a term of imprisonment would be the only appropriate sentence due to the "extremely insidious" nature of the "serious conduct".

Yeates faces a maximum penalty of seven years behind bars and will be sentenced next month.