Zafer Dogan, 32, of Enfield, was sentenced to two years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children. The case has drawn sharp criticism from police, who along with the Crown Prosecution Service had consistently objected to Dogan's bail applications by emphasising the risk the offender presented to the local community.
Dogan, who is employed as a mechanic, photographed adults and youngsters going about their daily business without their knowledge or consent, then deployed AI software to digitally manipulate them into sexually explicit images. The court was told Dogan was arrested on July 16 on suspicion of offences relating to indecent images of children. The defendant freed himself from his handcuffs, fled the scene and threw his mobile phone into a nearby garden. He was apprehended shortly afterwards and his device was recovered.
Thousands of images found
Prosecutor Sarah Gabay revealed that investigators uncovered thousands of images of women and children which seem to have been taken without their consent or their knowledge. These individuals were going about their daily business in the photographs, which included pictures of children on climbing frames. Police revealed Dogan had captured more than 5,000 images, a significant number of which were taken from his bedroom window that looked out over a playground.
The court was informed that photographs of 33 adult women and two children – aged seven and 13 – had been digitally altered using AI software to produce sexualised material. Dogan was re-arrested on August 4 and charged the following day, with police remanding him into custody. He appeared before Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on August 6, where he accepted all charges brought against him.
Victim impact statements
Victim impact statements were read from the mothers of Dogan's two child victims, whose identities have been protected for legal reasons. The mother of the 13-year-old described feeling as though she had been punched in the gut upon learning the news from officers. 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 said she felt utterly helpless, stating: "Our lives will never be the same again and I can't do anything about it all because one man exploited my child."
Defence counsel Joseph Carr said his client recognises the profound seriousness of his offending, adding that Dogan had parted ways with his long-term partner in 2025 and had subsequently spiralled into depression. The lawyer stated that Dogan fell down the rabbit hole and was unable to find his way out, while acknowledging that his actions remained wholly inexcusable. The judge described Dogan as a Jekyll and Hyde character throughout the hearing, having reviewed numerous character references.
Bail opposed three times
The Met Police revealed that, alongside the CPS, it had opposed Dogan's bail on three separate occasions, but each attempt proved unsuccessful, allowing the offender to return to his flat. Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher expressed to the Press Association the force's frustration with the court's repeated decisions to grant bail to Dogan. He stated: "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."
Police Constable Natalie Scagliarini, who spearheaded the investigation, commented: "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."
Dogan pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, comprising 900 category C images, 294 category B images and 653 category A images – the most serious classification. He also admitted to 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.
Passing sentence, Judge Alexander Jacobs said: "The offences are so serious that in my judgement only a custodial sentence is justified." He praised the bravery of the mothers who delivered victim impact statements, adding: "As they rightly say, whatever sentence I impose, it will not undo what you did. No sentence can give those families back what you stole from them through your depraved actions." He confirmed he was satisfied all of Dogan's offending was completely sexually motivated.
