Student admits stalking college staff

A teenager who launched a stalking campaign against two members of staff at the college where he studied has been given a three-year community order.

Ethan Fenwick, 19, made physical approaches and created deep fake sexual images and AI chat versions of two members of staff at Petroc College, in north Devon, designed to "unsettle and terrify them", police said.

Fenwick, of Swan Avenue in Tiverton, Devon, pleaded guilty on 30 September 2025 to two counts of stalking involving serious alarm or distress during 2024.

He was handed a community order consisting of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work, plus lifetime restraining orders at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday.

Det Con Andrew Stacey, from Devon & Cornwall Police, said it was an "extremely troubling case" where two victims were stalked both physically and online.

The initial victim in the case reported to police that Fenwick had asked her on dates, made social media friend requests and was caught secretly filming her in 2024.

She received further social media requests from two accounts.

One stated they wanted to kidnap both victims in the case and the other said they wanted to "pin her against a wall to use her body".

Another member of staff told police how Fenwick's behaviour at the college had made her feel uncomfortable.

Police said both staff members were left "frightened and distressed" by Fenwick's behaviour, with one leaving her job as a result.

Police said they suspected the social media accounts belonged to Fenwick and arrested him at his home address.

Analysis of his devices uncovered more than 1,000 covert images of students and staff at the college.

Police said 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," it said.

It added: "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."

Exeter and North Devon Colleges (ENDC) Group which runs Petroc College, said in a statement that the case occurred before the group was formed "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."

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