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High reported severity Involving minors Lawsuit Ongoing

Tennessee minors v. xAI: three girls say a man one of them knew used an AI app to make nude images and video of them and other minors, at least 19 in all, and traded them online; they sued xAI, and later also Stability AI, over the tool

Three Tennessee girls, two still minors, sued xAI in the Northern District of California on 16 March 2026 over AI-generated nude images and a video made of them as minors. According to the complaint, on or about 6 December 2025 an anonymous Instagram user sent one of them sexual AI images of herself made from her own photos, including her homecoming and yearbook pictures, and a link to a Discord server created by a person she knew, which held images and videos of at least 18 other minor girls, including the two other plaintiffs, many from her school. Local police arrested the man in late December 2025; the other two plaintiffs learned from investigators in February 2026 that he had made nude images of them, and he is alleged to have traded the files on Telegram and Mega. The plaintiffs describe anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares, self-isolation and needing academic accommodations. Their first complaint said law enforcement linked the app he used to xAI's Grok technology; the July amended complaint says the app relied on Stability AI's tools and names Stability AI as a defendant. The case is at an early stage and no court has ruled on the allegations.

AI system
Grok and Stability AI tools (reported)
Disputed in the pleadings: xAI (X.AI Corp., X.AI LLC, X.AI Holdings LLC) and/or Stability AI
Occurred
6 Dec 2025
Reported
16 March 2026
Event location
United States
What the AI did
Depicted or impersonated the person
Reported harm
Exploitation or AbusePsychological DistressEducational HarmReputational Harm
Whose AI use
Someone else’s AI use
Setting
Education · Privacy · Relationships · Justice
Evidence
AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 12 sources, 2 underlying accounts
5 claims: 2 documented, 3 reported. 5 open questions
People reported harmed
At least 19 people

AI system as recorded: An unnamed third-party image app on the perpetrator's phone, attributed in the March 2026 complaint to xAI's Grok technology and in the July 2026 amended complaint to Stability AI's tools ('Grok and/or Stability AI')

What Happened

The First Amended Class Action Complaint (N.D. Cal. No. 5:26-cv-02246, 7 July 2026) alleges the following about the Tennessee plaintiffs. Jane Doe 1, a Tennessee resident who was a minor at the relevant time, received a message from an anonymous Instagram account on or about 6 December 2025 saying that 'pics' of her had been generated by a person she knew and shared on Discord. The user sent her AI-generated images and a video, at least five files depicting her face and body undressed, made from photos she recognised, including one from her school homecoming (about September 2025) and her yearbook photo (about June 2025), and a link to a Discord server the perpetrator had created, which held images and videos of at least 18 other minor girls, including Jane Does 2 and 3, many of whom she recognised from school. The perpetrator had a close and friendly relationship with her and had persuaded her to send him photos of herself. She alerted the other girls and their families; local law enforcement opened a criminal investigation and police arrested the perpetrator in late December 2025 and searched his phone. According to the criminal investigator, he used her files as a bartering tool in Telegram group chats with hundreds of users and uploaded them to Mega. Jane Does 2 and 3, also Tennessee minors, learned from the same investigation on or about 12 February 2026 that he had made nude images of them; one was made from a beach photo on Instagram. On the AI system, the original complaint (16 March 2026) said law enforcement told Jane Doe 2's mother the tool was xAI's Grok and that the perpetrator used an app on his phone through which xAI's technology was accessed; NPR reported that he did not use Grok or X directly. The amended complaint keeps the statement that law enforcement named xAI but replaces the app attribution: it says the app relied on Stability AI's image-producing tools and that 'Grok and/or Stability AI' morphed the files. The plaintiffs' broader allegations against xAI concern Grok's 'Spicy Mode', a system prompt said to assume good intent for references to 'teenage' or 'girl', and licensing of the model to third-party apps; those against Stability AI concern its open-weight Stable Diffusion models. The complaint says all three plaintiffs' files have been entered into NCMEC's database, so they will be notified whenever the images appear in a criminal case. They describe anxiety, depression, recurring nightmares, needing academic support, sleeplessness requiring medical help, self-isolation, avoiding school, fear of being recognised or stalked, and reputational harm; Jane Doe 2's mother said she watched her daughter have a panic attack. xAI did not respond to requests for comment from the BBC, USA Today or Business Insider.

Reported harm

The plaintiffs allege that a man one of them knew made nude AI images and video of them as minors and traded them online, and describe anxiety, depression, sleeplessness requiring medical help, nightmares, self-isolation and needing academic accommodations (amended complaint; counsel's release quoting a mother). These are allegations in a pending civil case; which AI system was used is contested within the plaintiffs' own pleadings.

Outcome

Ongoing

16 March 2026: Jane Does 1-3 filed a proposed class action against X.AI Corp. and X.AI LLC in the Northern District of California (San Jose), No. 5:26-cv-02246, claiming under Masha's Law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and state law; related on 26 March 2026 to an earlier case, No. 5:26-cv-00772, and assigned to Judge P. Casey Pitts. 7 July 2026: amended complaint added X.AI Holdings LLC, Stability AI, Inc. and Stability AI U.S. Services Corporation as defendants and two plaintiffs from Wyoming and Wisconsin whose images were allegedly made into sexual images through Grok by separate perpetrators (not counted in this case), with Tennessee subclasses. 3 August 2026: leave to proceed under pseudonyms granted. 6 August 2026: defendants served. As of 25 September 2026 motions to appoint interim lead counsel, for an evidence-preservation order against xAI, and by other plaintiffs to intervene were pending; the initial case management conference is set for 15 October 2026. No answer or ruling on the merits was found.

What remains unknown

  • Which AI system or app produced the images; the plaintiffs attributed the app to xAI technology in March 2026 and to Stability AI tools (with Grok and/or Stability AI) in July 2026, and the app is not named.
  • The perpetrator's identity, age, charges and the state of his criminal case; no criminal-court record or local police statement was found.
  • How many of the other minors on the Discord server have been identified or notified, and how far the files spread on Telegram, Mega and elsewhere.
  • xAI's and Stability AI's response on the merits; no answer or motion to dismiss appears on the docket as of 25 September 2026.
  • When the images were first made; the complaint places production on or before 6 December 2025 from photos taken between August 2024 and October 2025.

What the evidence supports

AI involvement: reported. The complaints allege the images were AI-generated from the girls' photos by an app on the perpetrator's phone, relaying law enforcement. The system is unsettled: the March complaint attributes the app to xAI's Grok technology, and the July amended complaint says it relied on Stability AI's tools ('Grok and/or Stability AI'). No court finding or defendant answer on the merits exists.

5 claims: 2 documented, 3 reported. What the statuses mean

Reported The complaint alleges that on or about 6 December 2025 a Tennessee girl who was then a minor (Jane Doe 1) was sent AI-generated sexual images and a video of herself by an anonymous Instagram user, at least five files made from her own photos including her homecoming and yearbook pictures, and a link to a Discord server created by the perpetrator, a person with a close and friendly relationship with her, holding images and videos of at least 18 other minor girls, many from her school; that after she alerted the others and their families, local police opened an investigation and arrested the perpetrator in late December 2025; and that he traded her files on Telegram and Mega for sexual material of other minors.

Causal attribution. Plaintiffs' allegations, partly relaying what the criminal investigators told them; the perpetrator is unnamed and no criminal-court record was found. News reports relay the complaint.

  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'On or about December 6, 2025, Jane Doe 1 received a message from an anonymous'; 'At least five of these files, one video and four images, depicted her actual face and body'; 'One of the CSAM images was created using a photograph of her at her school’s Homecoming'; 'close and friendly relationship with Jane Doe 1'; 'at least 18 other minor females (including Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3), many of whom Jane Doe 1 recognized from her school.'; 'In late December 2025, local police arrested the perpetrator and conducted a search of his phone.'; 'the perpetrator used her AI-generated CSAM as a bartering tool in Telegram group chats'; 'the perpetrator uploaded and traded her AI-generated CSAM files on Telegram, a messaging application, and Mega, a file sharing platform'; 'trading her CSAM files for sexually explicit content of other minors'
  • bbc.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'One of the young plaintiffs said she found out about the imagery after she received an anonymous message on Instagram pointing her toward images and videos, including her high school yearbook photo'; 'Eventually, the perpetrator behind the Discord server mentioned in the new lawsuit was arrested.'
  • businessinsider.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'Jane Doe 1 alerted the other minors in the images and their families, and a criminal investigation was opened in Tennessee, according to the lawsuit.'
  • theverge.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'she learned that explicit, AI-generated images of herself and at least 18 other minors were available on Discord.'
Reported Two other Tennessee minors (Jane Does 2 and 3) say they learned on or about 12 February 2026, from the same criminal investigation, that the perpetrator had made nude AI images of them from their photos, one from a beach photo on Instagram; the amended complaint says law enforcement told Jane Doe 2's mother the AI tool was xAI.

Causal attribution. Plaintiffs' allegations relaying law enforcement; not independently confirmed.

  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'On or about February 12, 2026, Jane Doe 2 learned through the same ongoing criminal'; 'On or about February 12, 2026, Jane Doe 3 learned through the same ongoing criminal'; 'Jane Doe 2’s mother also learned from law enforcement that the AI tool used to generate the CSAM was xAI.'; 'Jane Doe 2 reviewed her Instagram photographs and found a series of images taken on October 12, 2025'
  • techcrunch.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'A second plaintiff, Jane Doe 2, was informed by criminal investigators about altered, sexualized images of her created by a third-party mobile app that relies on Grok models.'
Documented Which AI system made the images is not settled in the plaintiffs' own pleadings: the March 2026 complaint said, citing law enforcement, that the perpetrator used an app on his phone through which xAI's technology was accessed and that the app relied on Grok's image and video tools, while the July 2026 amended complaint says the app relied on Stability AI's image-producing tools and that Grok and/or Stability AI morphed the files.

Causal attribution. The two pleadings establish what the plaintiffs alleged at each date; neither establishes which system produced the images. No court finding and no defendant answer on the merits were found.

  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'the AI tool used to generate the CSAM was xAI, a generative AI also known as Grok.'; 'an application on his phone through which the xAI technology was accessed and used to produce CSAM.'; 'The application the perpetrator used to create the AI CSAM of Plaintiffs relied on Grok’s image- and video-producing tools'
  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'The application on the perpetrator’s phone used to create the AI CSAM of Plaintiffs relied on Stability AI’s image-producing tools'; 'Grok and/or Stability AI morphed'
  • npr.org(opens in new tab) context · English
    'While the perpetrator didn't use xAI's chatbot, Grok or the social media platform X (also owned by xAI), the lawsuit claims that the perpetrator relied on an unnamed app that used xAI's algorithm, citing law enforcement.'
  • npr.org(opens in new tab) context · English
    'The complaint was updated to add that "The application on the perpetrator's phone used to create the AI CSAM of Plaintiffs relied on Stability AI's image-producing tools."'
Reported The plaintiffs say the images caused them serious distress: Jane Doe 1 describes anxiety, depression, trouble eating and sleeping, recurring nightmares and needing academic accommodations; Jane Doe 2 says she cannot sleep without medical intervention, is self-isolating and avoiding her school campus, and her mother described watching her have a panic attack; Jane Doe 3 describes constant stress, anxiety and fear of being recognised.

Causal attribution. The plaintiffs' and a parent's own account through the complaint and counsel's release; one account.

  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'Her ability to participate in her normal daily activities has been impaired by the resulting anxiety, depression, and stress.'; 'She has difficulty eating and sleeping and suffers from recurring nightmares.'; 'Jane Doe 1 has had to request academic support and special accommodations'; 'Jane Doe 2 is unable to sleep to the point of seeking medical intervention.'; 'She has begun self-isolating and avoiding being on her school campus'; 'She suffers from constant stress, anxiety, and fear that someone will see the CSAM and recognize her face.'
  • lieffcabraser.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'Watching my daughter have a panic attack after realizing that these images were created and distributed without any hope of recalling them was heartbreaking.'
  • usatoday.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'A Tennessee mother said her daughter's senior year turned into a "nightmare" after she learned that fake nude images of her had been created and disseminated online'
Documented Jane Does 1-3 filed a proposed class action against X.AI Corp. and X.AI LLC in the Northern District of California on 16 March 2026; on 7 July 2026 an amended complaint added X.AI Holdings LLC, Stability AI, Inc. and Stability AI U.S. Services Corporation as defendants and two plaintiffs from Wyoming and Wisconsin with separate perpetrators; the court granted the plaintiffs leave to proceed under pseudonyms on 3 August 2026; and as of 25 September 2026 motions on interim lead counsel, evidence preservation and intervention by other plaintiffs were pending, with an initial case management conference set for 15 October 2026.

Causal attribution. Court docket and filed pleadings; procedural facts only.

  • courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'COMPLAINT with Jury Demand against X.AI Corp., X.AI LLC'; 'AMENDED COMPLAINT against X.AI Corp., X.AI LLC. Filed by Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 3, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 4, Jane Doe 5.'; 'ORDER Granting Administrative Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym. Signed by Judge P. Casey Pitts on 8/3/2026.'; 'MOTION to Appoint Lead Plaintiff and Lead Counsel filed by'; 'MOTION For Order Directing Preservation of Evidence filed by'; 'MOTION to Intervene for Limited Purpose'; 'Initial Case Management Conference set for 10/15/2026 at 02:00 PM'
  • storage.courtlistener.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'STABILITY AI, INC.'; 'Plaintiff Jane Doe 4 is a female who resides in Wyoming'; 'Plaintiff Jane Doe 5 is a female who resides in Wisconsin'
  • lieffcabraser.com(opens in new tab) supports · English
    'The amended complaint adds two new plaintiffs whose family photographs were used to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through xAI’s Grok app'

Sources

12 sources inspected, from 2 underlying accounts. Sources that repeat one account do not corroborate each other.

How the sources were read, and where the events happened

First Amended Class Action Complaint, Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp., No. 5:26-cv-02246-PCP (N.D. Cal., San Jose), ECF 26, filed 7 July 2026; RECAP PDF read in full on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Plaintiffs' allegations, not findings; much of the account is what law enforcement told the plaintiffs. Applies to s1.

Original Class Action Complaint, ECF 1, filed 16 March 2026 by Jane Does 1-3 against X.AI Corp. and X.AI LLC; RECAP PDF read on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Used for the original attribution of the app to xAI technology, later changed in ECF 26. Applies to s2.

CourtListener docket for 5:26-cv-02246 read newest-first on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200; page last updated 25 Sept 2026, last entry ECF 63 of 24 Sept plus a clerk's notice of 25 Sept). Procedural facts only. Applies to s3.

Plaintiffs' counsel Lieff Cabraser press release, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Carries the statement of Jane Doe 2's mother. Applies to s4.

Plaintiffs' counsel Lieff Cabraser press release on the amended complaint, 7 July 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Applies to s5.

BBC News, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Reports the complaint; says xAI did not respond to a request for comment. Applies to s6.

NPR, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Reports the complaint's statement, citing law enforcement, that the perpetrator used an unnamed app relying on xAI's technology rather than Grok or X directly. Applies to s7.

NPR, 9 July 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Reports the amended complaint, including its new statement that the app relied on Stability AI's tools. Applies to s8.

The Verge, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the complaint. Applies to s9.

TechCrunch, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the complaint. Applies to s10.

USA Today, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the complaint; xAI had not responded to a request for comment. Applies to s11.

Business Insider, 16 March 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the complaint, including that the criminal investigation was opened in Tennessee. Applies to s12.

Event countries: United States. Affected-person countries: United States. Court countries: United States.

The amended complaint says Jane Does 1-3 reside in Tennessee and that local police investigated and arrested the perpetrator; Business Insider reports the criminal investigation was opened in Tennessee. The civil case is in the Northern District of California.

Reviewed for publication 2026-09-28: Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-minor case. Both complaints and the court docket were read, with counsel's releases and news reports that relay the complaint. The girls' account is recorded as allegation and the AI attribution as unsettled. The plaintiffs and the perpetrator are not named.

People described

Three Tennessee girls who were minors when the images were made (Jane Does 1-3, pseudonymous), and at least 18 other minor girls whose images were on the same Discord server; none named

People reported harmed in this case

At least 19 people

0 AI participants · 19 other people harmed

The amended complaint alleges images of Jane Doe 1 and of 'at least 18 other minor females (including Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3)' on the perpetrator's Discord server: at least 19 depicted minors. The two plaintiffs added in July have separate perpetrators and are not counted; images and Telegram users are not counted as people.

Counted once within this case. The same person may appear in other cases. This count does not establish AI causation.

Tags

#csam#deepfake#lawsuit#class-action#grok#xai#stability-ai#discord#telegram#tennessee

Cite this case

Compiled per our published methodology: verification statuses, sourcing standards, and corrections process.

APA

NOPE. (2026). Tennessee minors v. xAI: three girls say a man one of them knew used an AI app to make nude images and video of them and other minors, at least 19 in all, and traded them online; they sued xAI, and later also Stability AI, over the tool. AI incidents. https://nope.net/incidents/2026-tennessee-minors-v-xai-grok-csam

BibTeX

@misc{2026_tennessee_minors_v_xai_grok_csam,
  title = {Tennessee minors v. xAI: three girls say a man one of them knew used an AI app to make nude images and video of them and other minors, at least 19 in all, and traded them online; they sued xAI, and later also Stability AI, over the tool},
  author = {NOPE},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {AI incidents},
  url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2026-tennessee-minors-v-xai-grok-csam}
}

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