Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for a review of bail decisions repeatedly allowing Zafer Dogan back to his flat overlooking a playground he targeted. Dogan was jailed for two years and four months after taking more than 5,000 photos of children and using AI to “nudify” them.
Police and prosecutors opposed bail several times, but Dogan remained on conditional bail throughout the proceedings; one family affected by his crimes moved into temporary accommodation after he was returned to the flat. London’s victims’ commissioner Andrea Simon called for a multi-agency review. The Ministry of Justice said the Crown Prosecution Service could challenge bail, but final decisions rested with independent judges, who must consider protection of victims, witnesses and the public.
Dogan pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, including 900 category C, 294 category B and 653 category A images, the most serious category; he also admitted other offences. Simon warned about the government’s early-release scheme, expected to release about 2,550 eligible offenders in England and Wales by year-end, saying victims may feel unsafe or alter routines. Burnham called the plan “not an ideal situation” and said years without building prison spaces had led to an “unacceptable situation.”
