First South Australian Charged Over Sexually Explicit Deepfakes

The identity of the first South Australian man charged with creating sexually explicit deepfake images, William Hamish Yeates, 19, has been made public after a court order suppressing his name was lifted.

Mr. Yeates appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday facing serious federal charges.

This case marks the first prosecution of its kind in South Australia under new laws introduced in 2024 to address deepfake pornography.

The Charges

Mr. Yeates is facing eight counts of creating or altering sexual material without consent. This federal offense carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment per count.

In addition, he is charged with 12 counts of using a carriage service in a harassing or offensive way, an offense that carries a potential prison term of five years.

Proceedings and Allegations

Defence lawyer Tim McGrath stated in court that negotiations with the prosecution are underway. He confirmed an offer acknowledging the alleged conduct in every offense has been presented to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Court documents detail the allegations:

• The charges relate to material allegedly transmitted on the social media platform X.
• It is alleged Mr. Yeates, who was 18 at the time, was responsible for creating the material between February 8 and February 13 of the previous year.
• It is further alleged that between September 2024 and February 2025, Mr. Yeates used two different X accounts on 12 occasions in a manner considered menacing, harassing, or offensive in relation to the alleged victim.

The matter is scheduled to return to court in April.