Man’s sick conversations with AI chatbot discovered by police

Monitoring software on Ben Barrett’s phone alerted police to his activities

A convicted paedophile chatted about child sexual abuse with an AI chatbot, a court has heard. Ben Barrett deleted the AI app from his phone before police examined the device, but officers had been alerted to his online activities by monitoring software.

The barrister for the 37-year-old defendant – who has twice been caught with indecent images on his phone – told Swansea Crown Court that his client had been “open and frank” with the Probation Service about his “obsessive” behaviour.

Abu Hussain, prosecuting, told the court that in October last year “eSafe” monitoring software which had been installed by the police on the defendant’s phone notified officers that he was accessing an app called Polybuzz and engaging in conversations with an AI chatbot about child sex abuse.

The court heard officers went to Barrett’s home and examined his phone but found the Polybuzz app had been removed from the device. The defendant was arrested on suspicion of breaching the sexual harm prevention order he has been subject to since 2018 – as part of the order the defendant is prohibited from deleting or hiding his online activities or browsing history. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter

Ben Stephen Thomas Barrett, of Maes y Farchnad in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has four previous convictions for 16 offences.

In 2016 Barrett was given a community order for possessing indecent images and was made subjected to SHPO. In 2018, he was given a suspended prison sentence for the same offence and made subject to a new 10-year SHPO – it is this order he breached by deleting the Polybuzz app. In 2020 the defendant was convicted of failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders register and given a suspended sentence.

Tom Scapens, for Barrett, said the monitoring software had been on the defendant’s phone for more than 12 months before being activated, and he said his client had been “open and frank” with the Probation Service about his “obsessive” behaviour.

Recorder Paul Lewis KC said the sentence which was due for breaching the sexual harm prevention order was one that could be suspended. The judge went on to say that given all the circumstances – “and not without some hesitation” – that is what he would do.

With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea Barrett was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years. He was also ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work in the community and complete a rehabilitation course and an accredited programme.

The recorder told Barret: “You are fortunate in avoiding custody. Breach the order again and it is likely you will not get another chance and off to custody you will go”.