A STUDENT who stalked two members of staff at the college he attended and catalogued over 1,000 covert images of students and staff has been sentenced.

Ethan Fenwick also produced deep fake sexual images, and AI chat versions of his victims for him to talk to.

Fenwick, 19, of Swan Avenue, Tiverton, appeared at Exeter Crown Court for sentence on Tuesday, January 13, having pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

The defendant was handed a three year community order, consisting of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Lifetime restraining orders were put in place to protect the two victims in the case, and a sexual harm prevention order also granted.

During the sentencing hearing, the court heard how the primary victims in the case worked at Petroc College – where Fenwick studied at the time.

The initial victim in the case reported to police in July 2024 that Fenwick stopped her in a corridor and asked her to go to prom with him.

She told Fenwick, then aged 17, that it wasn’t appropriate.

Following the summer break Fenwick – now aged 18 - asked her on a date to which she again refused.

A few weeks later, the victim spotted Fenwick secretly taking a photograph of her, before he sent her a friend request on social media a few days later.

The victim reported Fenwick’s behaviour to the college, and he was warned not to make contact again.

On November 19, 2024, the initial victim received two further Instagram account friend requests. The biographies within these two accounts were alarming.

One biography stated that the person running the account wished to kidnap both victims in this case. The second biography stated that the owner of the account wanted to “pin her against a wall to use her body”.

Police attended Fenwick’s address and made an arrest as it was suspected that these Instagram accounts belonged to him. Officers located a number of digital devices.

In his initial interview Fenwick admitted asking the victim out twice, but denied anything else.

Fenwick refused to provide the password to one of his digital devices.

Officers contacted the college’s safeguarding lead, who disclosed records showing Fenwick had made concerning comments regarding race and misogyny, as well as demonstrating a hatred for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Records also showed that Fenwick had been removed from a past school and youth centre due to an unhealthy obsession with another teacher and youth worker.

As a result of the initial victim’s disclosure, officers also spoke to a number of other members of staff.

One of the members of staff spoke of Fenwick’s obsessive behaviour towards her, moving chairs out of his way to be uncomfortably close to her.

Further comments that caused her to feel uncomfortable followed and she also heard Fenwick share misogynistic views. He often sat next to her even if she was sat at a table that was full - the repeated behaviour causing her to speak to management.

The second victim in the case added that she became aware of a number of occasions where Fenwick appeared to be filming the initial victim in the case.

Both staff members were left frightened and distressed by Fenwick’s behaviour, with one leaving her job as a result.

Several digital examinations were carried out and they linked the various social media accounts used to message the victims to Fenwick’s home IP address.

During this time, it was also discovered that Fenwick had tried to cover his tracks using new fake Instagram accounts and false persona email addresses.

A section 49 RIPA notice was then obtained from the Crown Court forcing Fenwick to provide the pin to his MacBook. A failure to provide it would have carried a separate offence of up to two years. Fenwick provided the pin after this notice was served.

Officers then passed a MacBook over to the Digital Forensic Unit who uncovered a huge number of pictures and videos featuring staff members and students aged 16 to 18.

Many of the images were digitally altered, collaged, and combined with pictures taken from social media.

Particularly chilling examples involved the head of one of the victims being placed next to porn stars having sex.

The material found also showed that Fenwick had secretly been recording their voices and been using online programmes to find and locate all social media accounts linked to both victims and others.

He had created AI versions of his victims with a chat facility enabling him to talk to their fake persona. Fenwick created these by using covertly captured audio and pictures which he uploaded to an AI website.

Officer in the case DC Andrew Stacey said: “This is an extremely troubling case involving the stalking of two victims, both physically and online.

“Ethan Fenwick’s victims - who were simply trying to do their jobs - were left distressed and concerned by his behaviour which was designed to unsettle and ultimately terrify them.

“This investigation was highly digitality focused and employed a number of tactics to uncover a huge collection of images, videos and other digital evidence which were secretly captured, collaged and edited without the knowledge of the subjects.

“Fenwick used AI and other advanced software to manipulate the contents of his collections in a hugely concerning manner – including in a sexual way.

“We hope his victims can feel some closure and safeguarding from the sentencing and can now move forward with their lives.”

Anybody who has been the victim of any form of stalking and harassment is asked to report it to Devon and Cornwall Police via 101 or the Force website, or by calling 999 if in immediate manager.