Former solider John Landgon requested a photo and used it generate sexual AI videos
A social worker sent sexual AI-generated videos to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, a court has heard.
Former solider John Landgon contacted the profile of what appeared to be a child on a chat app and requested photos which he then used for making AI videos of them hugging and kissing and a video where the “girl” was undressed. When arrested he denied getting any sexual gratification from what he had done.
A judge at Swansea Crown Court said was clear the 63-year-old defendant was in denial about being a paedophile – at least publicly – and said given that fact there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation and immediate custody was the only appropriate sentence.
The court heard that in March this year Landgon made contact with a profile on the dating and chat app Just Say Hi which appeared to be that of a 14-year-old girl. In reality the profile was being operated by members of a so-called paedophile hunter group.
The defendant and the decoy moved to WhatsApp where they continued chatting with Langdon saying he was looking for “fun with the ladies”. When reminded of the decoy’s age he said he was “fine” with it. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter.
The court heard Landgon told the decoy he wanted to give her a hug and then asked for pictures. When an appropriate photo was provided, he used it to generate AI videos of him and the “girl” hugging and kissing which he sent back to the decoy. He then sent an AI-generated video of the “girl” being undressed.
The court heard the defendant went on to send the decoy further AI videos of oral sex.
The court heard the operators of the decoy subsequently went to Landgon’s address and confronted him in an incident which was livestreamed on social media.
The police were called and the defendant was arrested.
In his interview Langdon said when he realised the person he was chatting to was only 14 he only wanted to be her friend, saying he spoke to other 13- and 14-year-olds and had “platonic friendships” with them.
He accepted making the AI-generated videos in what he called “a moment of madness” and said he did not get any sexual gratification from doing so.
John Langdon, of Brickfield Street, Machynlleth, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child and to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.
Caitlin Brazel, for Langdon, said the defendant had served for nine years in the Army and then found employment in a variety of jobs before working a social worker for adults with learning difficulties for the last eight years.
She said her client’s “troubled upbringing” no doubt contributed to his mental health battles and his time in the military “did not help”.
The barrister said the offending was out of character for her client and said he had told her he wished he could turn the clock back and undo what he did.
She said they remained her instructions that the defendant is not sexually attracted to children.
Judge Paul Thomas KC said there were elements of grooming and deviousness in what the defendant did and he noted Langon had told the author of the pre-sentence report that he was not guilty and had been, in effect, “stitched up” by his legal representative.
He told the defendant: “It is clear from the facts of the case you are a man with a significant sexual interest in young girls. In other words you are a paedophile. It is equally clear that you do not – publicly at least – accept you are a paedophile.
“Perhaps you do not want to admit this fact to others.
“Your continued denial that you are a paedophile makes me question the effectiveness of any intervention designed to address this deviancy.
“he author of the pre-sentence report comes to the same conclusion. I find there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the moment.”
With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Langdon was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
He will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
The defendant will be a registered sex offender for 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order to run for the same length of time.
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