VILE abusers who make sexually explicit deepfakes could be jailed for two years as part of a crackdown by the Government.
New legislation will mean that offenders can be charged for both creating and sharing the pictures.
The number of such images — which can see a person’s face seamlessly superimposed into porn pictures or videos — being placed online has grown rapidly.
The victims are usually women and girls.
Taking intimate photographs without consent, and installing equipment with the intent of taking those pictures, will also become illegal when the Government introduces its Crime and Policing Bill.
In September, sharing intimate images became a priority offence under the Online Safety Act.
It put the onus on platforms such as Facebook and X to root out and remove such content or face action from Ofcom.
Tory peer Baroness Owen, who has campaigned for action on the issue, welcomed the news.
She said: “It is long overdue and the Government must not delay any further in laying the legislation before Parliament to give women the vital protections they need from this appalling abuse.”
Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones said: “These new offences will help prevent people being victimised online.
“We are putting offenders on notice — they will face the full force of the law.”
