Supply teacher jailed six years for using AI to create deepfake sex images of his own pupils

Published 15 October 2026, 19:28

Abusali Rahman, 37, from Salford, pleaded guilty to 21 child sex offences at Bolton Crown Court

A supply teacher who used artificial intelligence to create sexualised deepfake images of his own pupils has been jailed for six years at Bolton Crown Court.

Abusali Rahman, 37, from Swinton, Salford, pleaded guilty to 21 child sex offences, including secretly photographing girls beneath their skirts and harvesting pupils' personal details to track them down on social media.

He was also made subject to a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent further offending, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Since 2022, Rahman had taken up positions at a number of schools and colleges throughout the Northwest of England. His offending spanned approximately 18 months, between December 2023 and June 2025, during which he used his mobile phone in classrooms to take degrading photos of students in seven secondary schools across three Greater Manchester districts — Bolton, Bury, and Salford.

His offending came to light on 2 March 2025, when police received several reports from concerned parents who had spotted images of school pupils on two social media accounts.

Enquiries led officers to Rahman, whose laptop and other devices were seized. Rahman was first arrested in June 2025, and re-arrested on further occasions as further offences were identified and after he breached his bail conditions.

On those devices, investigators found deepfake images in which the faces of teenage pupils had been superimposed onto adult bodies or placed alongside adults engaged in sexual activity. The images numbered more than 300 in total and ranged from Category A to Category C classifications.

Rahman had kept digital records containing information about female students — their names, home addresses and other identifying details — for the purpose of tracking them down on social media platforms and extracting photographs from their accounts to feed into the deepfake image creation process.

He had also secretly taken upskirting images of pupils under their clothing at the schools in which he was employed, without their awareness, and had shared some of those images online. The upskirting offences relate to twelve different girls; due to the limitations of the evidence, a further three girls in the photographs have not been able to be identified. Rahman would post images on social media, often alongside humiliating captions.

Also found on his phone was a document he had made in May 2025 that advertised female sexual content for sale online at a one-time cost of £20.

Police also discovered searches connected to generating AI images of children, possible legal defences, techniques for photographing subjects undetected, and outlets for buying spy cameras.

Rahman made no comment during his police interview but pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court on 28 May 2026.

He was sentenced on 12 counts of taking an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, four counts of publishing an obscene article, three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, and one count of upskirting.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Alexandra Mann said: "Abusali Rahman abused his position as a teacher to capture images of children without their knowledge in a school environment where they were entitled to feel safe."

Mann described the creation and sharing of the deepfake images as "a gross breach of trust," adding that "misuse of emerging technology is a serious crime and it has had a profound impact on both the victims and wider community."

Prosecutors worked with police to build evidence from Rahman's devices and location data to establish the full extent of his offending.

Mann said: "I hope this case sends a clear message that we will robustly prosecute those who use technology to exploit children."

Detective Constable Lisa McGaffin, from GMP's Bolton Child Protection Team, said: "I have worked on this case for a year now and want to make it clear that Abusali Rahman's crimes were absolutely abhorrent. My thoughts throughout this process have always been with the young girls who have been subject to such indignity. Their welfare and support will always be a priority for us."

McGaffin added: "While working as a teacher — someone who young children should trust and be safe with — Rahman repeatedly took secret photos for his own sick gratification, before posting images online which showed his total disregard for the girls' respect and dignity. Any abuse of a position of authority is deplorable, and against children is especially heinous. I am glad he is now behind bars. Protecting children will always be the highest priority at GMP and we will always take the strongest possible action where allegations of this nature are made."

Greater Manchester Police said it has remained in close contact with the schools, local authorities, and other partners to ensure all appropriate support is in place for those affected.