A north London man who secretly photographed women and children before using artificial intelligence to turn some of those images into sexually explicit material has been jailed.
Zafer Dogan, 32, of Enfield, was sentenced to two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, September 24.
He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Police said Dogan took thousands of photographs of women and children during ordinary everyday situations before using AI image-editing technology to manipulate some of them, including by digitally removing clothing.
Thousands Of Images Taken Without Knowledge
Detectives established that Dogan had taken more than 5,000 photographs of women and girls in public places.
Those pictured were carrying out ordinary activities, including playing in public areas and travelling to and from school.
Many of the photographs were taken from Dogan’s bedroom window, which overlooked a children’s playground.
Police said other images suggested he had followed women and schoolchildren around the surrounding area.
Only a limited number of those photographed have so far been identified.
Officers are continuing efforts to identify others and have appealed for potential victims or their families to come forward.
Around 1,800 Indecent Images Found
Dogan was first arrested on July 16 after police received information about his online activity.
Officers said approximately 1,800 indecent images of children were later recovered from his phone alongside extreme pornographic material, including bestiality.
Further analysis of the device revealed the thousands of photographs taken in public.
Some had been manipulated using AI to create sexualised images.
Police have asked media organisations not to publish the exact ages of the child victims because of concerns about possible jigsaw identification.
Dogan Ran From Police
Body-worn police footage from Dogan’s arrest shows him attempting to run from officers.
Police said he also tried to discard his mobile phone in the front garden of a nearby property.
He was quickly detained.
The phone, which contained key evidence, was recovered with the assistance of a specialist police dog and later subjected to detailed forensic examination.
Pleaded Guilty To Multiple Offences
Dogan was arrested for a second time on August 4 after investigators recovered further evidence which police said demonstrated the risk he posed.
He was charged the following day.
At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on August 6, he pleaded guilty to offences including making indecent images of children across Categories A, B and C, possession of prohibited images of children, possession of extreme pornography, creating purported intimate images of adults and obstructing a police officer.
He also admitted offences relating to taking indecent images of children.
Repeatedly Bailed Back To Same Address
The case became particularly controversial because Dogan was allowed to return on bail to his home address after admitting the offences.
That was the same location from which police said much of the offending had taken place.
Prosecutors opposed bail on multiple occasions, supported by police officers who provided risk assessments to the courts.
Those attempts were unsuccessful.
Dogan was therefore able to return to the community while awaiting sentence.
Family Moved Away Because Of Fear
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley spoke outside Wood Green Crown Court after sentencing and strongly criticised the decisions to grant bail.
He said one victim’s family found themselves continuing to live close to a man who had admitted targeting them.
According to Rowley, the family eventually became so fearful that they moved to temporary accommodation elsewhere, disrupting the children’s lives.
“The children should have been put first, not the paedophile,” he said.
Commissioner Criticises Justice System
Rowley said the case demonstrated what he described as a wider problem with decisions being made across the criminal justice system.
He said officers were increasingly frustrated when people they believed posed a significant risk were released despite police and prosecution objections.
He argued that the pressure to reduce the number of people held on remand had contributed to more defendants being granted bail.
The Commissioner said decisions of this kind could leave victims frightened and undermine confidence in the justice system.
Bail Law Changed In March
Police also highlighted a change to the Bail Act which came into force in March 2026.
The wording of the test applied in certain cases involving defendants awaiting sentence was changed from whether there was “no real prospect of custody” to whether there was “no real prospect of immediate custody”.
Dogan had already admitted his offences when the bail decisions were being considered.
His bail was challenged by prosecutors but remained in place.
Police Officer Describes Case As ‘Deeply Distressing’
Police Constable Natalie Scagliarini, who led the investigation, described Dogan’s behaviour as “predatory and dangerous”.
She said he had targeted ordinary scenes involving children and families and manipulated them in what she described as a deeply disturbing way.
She said those affected had been left feeling violated and unsure about when they might have been watched or photographed.
Scagliarini thanked victims and families for supporting the investigation.
Victims Describe Impact
One mother said she felt “helpless” after discovering her child had been targeted.
She said the family’s lives would never be the same.
The mother of another victim said learning what had happened felt as though she had been “punched in the gut”.
She also expressed fear that manipulated images of her daughter may have circulated online or reached other offenders.
AI Companies Also Criticised
Rowley also used the case to criticise technology companies whose AI tools can be used to manipulate photographs into sexualised images.
He said companies must do more to prevent their systems being exploited for sexual offending.
He argued that technological innovation could not come at the expense of public safety.
The case is among a growing number highlighting concerns about AI tools being used to create synthetic or manipulated sexual imagery without consent.
Police Appeal For More Victims
Officers are continuing to work to identify people photographed by Dogan.
Police are particularly interested in hearing from women and parents in the Enfield area who may have noticed someone filming or photographing them or their children.
Reports can be made to police by calling 101 and quoting reference 7736/10SEP.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police have also highlighted Sarah’s Law, which allows members of the public to ask whether a specific person who has contact with a child has a record of child sexual offences or is considered to pose a risk to that child.
