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Woman to Pay £10,000 After Using Teen’s Photos for Fake Social Media Accounts
A 19-year-old from Aberdare will receive compensation after her images were used to create fake social media profiles that deceived thousands. The High Court in London approved the settlement in a civil case involving catfishing.
Jul 17, 1:17 AM·1m read1 source
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A woman agreed to pay £10,000 in compensation to a teenager whose images she used to create fake social media profiles over four years, according to court documents reported by BBC News. The High Court in London approved the settlement between Sasha-Jay Davies, now 19 and from Aberdare, and Elha Mai Weston.
Weston created accounts on Tinder, TikTok, Instagram and other platforms using Davies' photographs and AI-generated images based on her likeness.
She posed as Davies under the names "Sophie" and "Sophie Kadare" to initiate romantic conversations. The accounts gained 81,000 followers on TikTok and 22,000 on Instagram, for a total exceeding 100,000 across platforms. Davies first reported a fake TikTok account in 2022 when she was 16.
The impersonation continued until 2026 even after she made her own accounts private. Davies told BBC Wales she now rarely leaves home because men approach her believing they are in relationships with her. She said about 20 men and several women contacted her on social media, and she has faced in-person harassment from strangers who accused her of leading them on.
Weston accepted that her conduct was wrongful and caused Davies significant distress. She expressed deep regret and apologised unreservedly. The agreement forms part of a Tomlin Order, under which Weston could face contempt of court proceedings if she repeats the conduct.
