A paedophile who took thousands of pictures of women and girls and used AI to ‘nudify’ them was released on bail three times to his flat near a playground – forcing his victims to move out.
Zafer Dogan, 32, took as many as 5,000 images involving so many victims that police have not been able to identify all of them.
The case has sparked criticism from Met commissioner Mark Rowley, who said ‘children should be put first, not the paedophile’ as he warned that ‘dangerous and prolific offenders’ are ‘routinely’ released on bail despite the risk they pose.
The predator used AI to digitally alter images by removing clothing from youngsters in school uniform and was able to photograph children ‘going about their daily business’ from a bedroom.
He followed hundreds of women and children as young as seven, spending hours lurking in his car to secretly take pictures.
Dogan, who works as a mechanic, was jailed for two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday having previously pleaded guilty to multiple image offences, including making indecent images of children.
The paedophile also preyed on children known to him, taking covert pictures which he later ‘nudified’ after collecting 1,800 indecent images online – including extreme pornographic material and bestiality.
Three courts refused to remand Dogan into custody even after he had admitted nine offences relating to indecent images, extreme pornography and obstructing police.
As a result, his victims’ families had to flee their homes, taking their children out of schools, quitting their jobs and relocating to protect them from the paedophile who continued to seek contact.
In an unprecedented attack delivered outside his sentencing, Sir Mark described how public confidence in the justice system is under threat, saying it was ‘little surprise’ victims were deserting prosecutions in droves after seeing their attackers let loose.
The warning comes a week before 700 offenders are due to be set free from prisons in the first tranche of Labour’s early release scheme.
Zafer Dogan, 32, took as many as 5,000 images involving so many victims that police have not been able to identify all of them. He is seen outside court
The court heard that Dogan was arrested on July 16 on suspicion of offences involving indecent images of children.
The defendant ‘freed himself’ from his handcuffs, ran away and discarded his mobile phone into a nearby garden. Dogan was stopped soon after and his device was seized.
Prosecutor Sarah Gabay said that investigators discovered ‘thousands of images of women and children which seem to have been taken without their consent or their knowledge’.
Ms Gabay said these individuals were ‘going about their daily business’ in the photographs, which included pictures of children on climbing frames.
According to the police, Dogan had taken more than 5,000 images, many of which were from his bedroom window which overlooked a playground.
The court was told that photos of 33 adult women and two children – aged seven and 13 – were ‘digitally altered’ using AI software to create sexualised content.
Dogan was arrested again on August 4 and the following day he was charged and remanded by police.
The defendant appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on August 6 and accepted all the charges against him.
According to the prosecutor, Dogan has ‘been on conditional bail throughout these proceedings’.
Dogan gave no comment interviews after both arrests, the court heard.
The court heard victim impact statements from the mothers of Dogan’s two child victims, who have been kept anonymous for legal 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.
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. Yet no one protects us.’
Joseph Carr, mitigating, said the defendant ‘recognises the profound seriousness’ of his offending.
Mark Rowley said ‘children should be put first, not the paedophile’ as he warned that ‘dangerous and prolific offenders’ are ‘routinely’ released on bail despite the risk they pose
He said the defendant had separated from his long-term partner in 2025 and subsequently ‘spiralled into depression’.
The lawyer said Dogan ‘fell down the rabbit hole and was unable to find his way out’, but added that there is no excuse for his actions.
The judge described Dogan as a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character during the hearing having read multiple character references, which Mr Carr said ‘speak to positive character’.
Dogan, of Enfield, 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.
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.
The Met Police said that alongside the CPS, it had opposed Dogan’s bail on three occasions but their attempts were unsuccessful and the offender was allowed to return to his flat.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher told the Press Association about the force’s ‘frustration’ at the court’s decision to repeatedly bail Dogan, who had used the AI software to ‘nudify’ images.
The detective said the ‘whole details’ of the case were raised in court, ‘including the fact that he was being bailed to effectively the area where he had been offending’.
Mr Kelleher said: ‘The matters at court … went through a series of challenges where the police and CPS opposed bail, opposed his being bailed back to the address, but the courts continued to bail him, and that went through a series of three or four different hearings.’
He went on: ‘There are certainly frustrations, especially where, like in this case, we identify an offender who’s moved beyond the normal pattern of slightly more passive collecting of material into producing it yourself, and when we then highlight the risk to the court to really try and challenge those systems to put someone into custody.’
Police Constable Natalie Scagliarini, who led the investigation, said: ‘This is a deeply distressing case. Dogan’s actions were predatory and dangerous. 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.
‘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.’
Speaking outside Wood Green Crown Court, Sir Mark said: ‘The children should be put first, not the paedophile.
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.
‘Victims are left fearful, communities are left feeling less safe and confidence in the justice system is undermined. This case is just another example of victims being let down.’
He said officers were ‘routinely’ seeing the consequences of ‘pressure’ on courts not to remand criminals due to prison overcrowding.
A Government spokesman said: ‘The law is clear that bail should only be used where necessary and proportionate, including to protect victims, witnesses and the public while investigations and court proceedings are ongoing.’
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