Nadine Dorries' fury at 'deepfake' pornographic clips of her and other female politicians shared online - as police make arrest
Former UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has spoken about her distress after discovering that highly realistic AI generated pornographic deepfake videos depicting her had been created and circulated online. Thames Valley Police informed Dorries about the material after launching an investigation involving several female politicians and celebrities.
Police arrested a 36 year old man from Reading in connection with the investigation. He was arrested on suspicion of distributing intimate material with the intention of causing alarm, distress or humiliation. After being interviewed by detectives, he was released under investigation while inquiries continue.
According to Dorries, police seized electronic devices from the suspect containing thousands of videos and images. The investigation reportedly involves deepfake material depicting Dorries, three other high profile women in Westminster and several television personalities and celebrities.
Dorries said the videos had already spread widely across social media and the wider internet before she became aware of them. She described the material as particularly disturbing because advances in AI make realistic synthetic images increasingly difficult for ordinary viewers to distinguish from genuine photographs or videos. She said the possibility that family members, friends and colleagues might encounter the fabricated material was particularly upsetting.
The police investigation focuses on provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 concerning the sharing of intimate images or films with the intention of causing alarm, distress or humiliation. The UK’s legal framework has been expanded to address AI generated intimate imagery as policymakers respond to the rapid growth of sexually explicit deepfakes.
The case has particular significance because Dorries herself played a major role in introducing the Online Safety Act while serving as Culture Secretary. The legislation contributed to subsequent changes addressing AI generated intimate imagery and other forms of online abuse.
The report also places the case within a broader pattern of AI enabled sexual abuse targeting women in public life. Labour MP Jess Asato, for example, launched legal action against xAI after its Grok system allegedly generated sexualized fake imagery involving her.
Overall, the case illustrates how generative AI is making non consensual intimate imagery easier to create at scale, while social media can enable fabricated material to spread widely before victims or authorities can intervene. The police investigation also demonstrates the increasing use of existing and newly expanded criminal laws to pursue individuals allegedly responsible for creating or distributing such content.
