Ethan Fenwick, 19, was obsessed with Hitler and misogynist Andrew Tate and made creepy AI deep fakes of two women who worked at Petroc College in Tiverton, Devon
A teenager who harboured an obsession with Hitler and misogynist Andrew Tate, developed a sexual fixation on two women at his college. Ethan Fenwick’s secretly photographing them at school and carried out a campaign of incessant harassment, compiling files, and creating deep fake sexual images and AI chat versions to talk to.
He bragged online about his desire to pin one of the women against a wall to ‘use her body’. He also penned fantasies about abducting them to ‘make them mine’.
The 19-year-old was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court after admitting to two counts of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. Both of Fenwick’s victims who were employed at the college reported his frightening behaviour, which spanned 11 months. A safeguarding meeting was convened and the police were alerted, reports Devon Live.
However, one of the victims, who delivered a statement in court, felt she had been left to grapple with the aftermath alone. She didn’t believe Petroc College in Tiverton, Devon provided adequate support after she voiced concerns for her safety.
She claimed the school ‘failed to act’ and informed her there was ‘nothing further they can do’.
She continued: “These events have changed every aspect of my life. In order to feel safe I’ve been forced to move home and work. I was completely unsupported by my previous employer and left to deal with the consequences alone.”
His second victim said that there were no words potent enough to fully convey how Fenwick ‘tore away my sense of safety and peace’.
“One of the most disturbing things is that he had thousands of photos and videos,” she revealed. “Knowing somebody was watching me left me completely exposed and stripped of any privacy.
“I feel like I’m constantly being watched. That kind of violation doesn’t go away and changes how you see the world and the people in it.”
She admits she no longer feels secure at her workplace. “I wonder how much more dangerous this could have been and I might not have been here today. I truly believe he is a danger to society.
“The things he looked at like Andrew Tate and incels give no thought towards women. He is not someone who made a poor decision. I fear for people if he walks free because the next victim may not be so lucky and they might not survive.
“Hopefully this can help anybody else going through this nightmare. I no longer feel safe at home or work. College should be safe but I feel vulnerable. I question whether I can continue in a career I once loved.”
The court heard that Fenwick, who has autism and ‘struggles with nuance’ due to his neurodiversity, had previously been removed from another school and youth centre because of an unhealthy fixation on another teacher and youth worker.
The first victim reported to the police in July 2024 that Fenwick cornered her in a corridor and asked her to accompany him to prom. She informed Fenwick, then 17, that it wasn’t suitable.
After the summer break, Fenwick – now 18 – proposed a date, which she again declined.
A few weeks later, she caught Fenwick covertly snapping a photo of her, before he sent her a friend request on social media. The victim reported Fenwick’s behaviour to the college, and he was sternly warned not to make contact again.
However, he continued to harass her. His online biographies contained disturbing details. In one, he confessed to having a ‘crush’ and expressed a desire to kidnap both victims.
He would stalk his second victim around the college, showing her graphic and violent anime-style images. She described him as a ‘massive fan’ of Andrew Tate and made it clear that it was unacceptable for him to share the misogynistic views of his idol.
He would constantly sit next to her, making her feel as if she was being filmed.
Police arrested him and confiscated his devices. They discovered unsettling compilations of his targets, labelled with their names and titled ‘Jerk off challenge’ and ‘Jerk off challenge 2.0’.
The head of one victim was even superimposed next to adult film stars in explicit scenes. Fenwick even went as far as creating AI versions of his victims, complete with chat functions that allowed him to converse with these fabricated personas.
These were crafted using secretly obtained audio and images which he uploaded to an AI website.
The college’s safeguarding lead was contacted by officers, revealing records that showed Fenwick had made alarming comments about race and misogyny, alongside expressing a deep-seated hatred for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Defending Fenwick, Zoe Kuyken stated that his parents were completely unaware of their son’s disturbing behaviour prior to his arrest. She pointed out ‘deficits in how this safeguarding was managed by the school’.
While not blaming the school for his actions, she emphasised that getting Fenwick help is crucial to managing his risk in the future under his parents’ care.
During sentencing, Recorder Laura Collier questioned why the college chose not to inform Fenwick’s family about his troubling behaviour following a safeguarding meeting.
She noted that due to his mental conditions, Fenwick would struggle in prison. Instead, she suggested his risk could be better managed within the community.
As such, she imposed a three-year community order, including 25 rehabilitation days, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
A representative from the ENDC Group, established following Petroc’s merger, commented: “This case occurred before the formation of the Exeter and North Devon Colleges (ENDC) Group, and we cannot comment on individual cases relating to students or staff. Safeguarding is paramount to us, and the safety and well-being of our students and staff underpins everything we do.”
Detective Constable Andrew Stacey, the investigating officer, remarked: “This is an extremely troubling case involving the stalking of two victims, both physically and online.”
He continued: “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.
“We hope his victims can feel some closure and safeguarding from the sentencing and can now move forward with their lives.”