The tragedy of James Bulger is one that Britain has never forgotten — but now, more than 30 years later, his grieving mother Denise Fergus is facing a new and unthinkable cruelty. Sick TikTok and social media users have been using artificial intelligence to create disturbing deepfake videos of James, making the murdered toddler appear to “speak” about his own death.

Denise has called this latest exploitation “absolutely disgusting” and “pure torture,” saying it feels as though she is being forced to relive the nightmare all over again. “They are torturing my son all over again,” she said in anguish, describing how these AI-generated clips reopen wounds that never truly healed.

The videos have sparked outrage across the UK, with child safety campaigners demanding urgent action from social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Yet Denise insists that current laws are failing families: “It’s not enough. These platforms are letting this happen, and it needs to stop before more parents suffer like I am.”

Experts warn that the rise of AI-driven deepfakes is quickly becoming a dangerous frontier — blurring the lines between reality and fabrication while retraumatizing victims’ families. For parents like Denise, it’s not just about the cruelty of strangers online; it’s about the unbearable pain of seeing her child’s memory twisted for clicks, views, and digital “shock value.”

Campaigners are now urging the government to tighten legislation around AI exploitation, arguing that grieving families should be protected from this new form of digital abuse. Until then, Denise Fergus continues her fight — not only for justice for James but for dignity in how his memory is treated in the digital age.

👉 What began as a horrific crime in 1993 has now taken on a chilling new form in 2025: the weaponization of AI against the innocent memory of a child. For Denise, the question remains — when will the torment finally end?