Roberts AI Deepfake Stalking - New Hampshire
Stalked victim for over a year using AI tools to create deepfake videos depicting victim in sexual acts that never occurred. Charged and held without bail in Conway, New Hampshire, late 2024/early 2025.
AI System
AI deepfake tools
Various
Reported
January 15, 2025
Jurisdiction
US-NH
Platform Type
other
What Happened
Joseph Roberts was charged in Conway, New Hampshire for a stalking campaign lasting over one year in which he used AI deepfake technology to create fabricated videos depicting his victim in sexual situations that never actually occurred. The deepfake videos were sufficiently realistic to appear credible, causing significant psychological harm and reputational damage to the victim. Roberts distributed or threatened to distribute the fabricated sexual content as part of his stalking behavior. The case represents emerging patterns of AI-facilitated harassment where deepfake technology enables creation of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) without any actual intimate contact or photography of the victim. This substantially lowers the barrier for creating harmful sexual content, as perpetrators no longer need access to actual intimate images - they can fabricate them entirely using AI. The victim faced the psychological trauma of discovering fabricated sexual videos of herself circulating, combined with the ongoing stalking behavior. Roberts was deemed a sufficient flight/danger risk to be held without bail. The case is ongoing as of early 2025 and represents one of the first criminal prosecutions specifically for AI deepfake stalking.
AI Behaviors Exhibited
AI deepfake tools used to generate fabricated sexual videos; created non-consensual intimate imagery without actual intimate photos; enabled realistic sexual content creation for harassment purposes
How Harm Occurred
AI lowered barrier to creating NCII - no actual intimate access needed; fabricated content appears credible; victim faces psychological trauma and reputational harm; stalking sustained over one year using AI-generated content
Outcome
Charged with stalking and non-consensual intimate imagery. Held without bail. Case ongoing as of early 2025.
Harm Categories
Contributing Factors
Victim
One woman, Conway, New Hampshire area
Detectable by NOPE
While NOPE Oversight focuses on chatbot conversations, this case demonstrates broader AI safety challenges. Deepfake detection and prevention require different technical approaches. Highlights need for comprehensive AI harm prevention beyond conversational AI.
Cite This Incident
APA
NOPE. (2025). Roberts AI Deepfake Stalking - New Hampshire. AI Harm Tracker. https://nope.net/incidents/2024-roberts-ai-deepfake-stalking
BibTeX
@misc{2024_roberts_ai_deepfake_stalking,
title = {Roberts AI Deepfake Stalking - New Hampshire},
author = {NOPE},
year = {2025},
howpublished = {AI Harm Tracker},
url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2024-roberts-ai-deepfake-stalking}
} Related Incidents
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