{ "meta": { "exportedAt": "2026-09-22T13:50:09.161Z", "formatVersion": 2, "selection": { "q": "depicted", "system": "", "harm": "", "context": "", "country": "", "role": "", "relation": "core", "evidence": "", "year": "", "response": "", "severity": "", "verification": "", "view": "incidents", "sort": "added" }, "totalIncidents": 28, "coverage": { "cases": 28, "countries": 12, "languages": 11, "unknownLocation": 1, "locationPending": 0, "unknownLanguage": 0, "unknownDate": 0, "lawsuits": 1, "regulatory": 13, "minors": 16, "coreRelations": 28, "contextualRelations": 0, "mixedRelations": 0, "unknownRelations": 0, "relationPending": 0, "relationUnknown": 0 }, "countingNote": "Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.", "affectedCountNote": "Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.", "source": "NOPE Incident Tracker", "url": "https://nope.net/incidents", "license": "CC BY 4.0" }, "incidents": [ { "id": "2026-berlin-weissensee-heinz-brandt-schule-ai-nude-images-classmates", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'An der Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee wird gegen zwei Schüler wegen des Verdachts ermittelt, KI-generierte sexualisierte Nacktbilder von Mitschülerinnen erstellt und verbreitet zu haben.'; 'Die Senatsverwaltung für Bildung bestätigte dem Tagesspiegel die Vorfälle und die laufenden Ermittlungen.'; 'Den Schülern sollen mindestens drei Fälle vorgeworfen werden. Die Schulleitung informierte die Schulgemeinschaft, dass sie am vergangenen Freitag von den Vorfällen erfahren habe.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Two pupils of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee are suspected of having created and distributed AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates in at least three cases; the school leadership learned of the incidents on 'the previous Friday' (19 June 2026, read relative to the 24 June 2026 report), informed parents in a letter, and the Senate Department for Education confirmed the incidents and the investigation.", "causal_attribution": "The school's letter and the Senate confirmation as reported by the Tagesspiegel; 'vergangenen Freitag' before the 24 June 2026 report is 19 June 2026." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Die beiden mutmaßlich hauptverantwortlichen Schüler seien mit sofortiger Wirkung vom Unterricht suspendiert worden. Zudem habe die Schule Maßnahmen gegen Schülerinnen und Schüler verhängt, die von den Bildern gewusst, die Vorfälle jedoch nicht gemeldet haben sollen.'; 'In dem Schreiben bezeichnet die Schulleitung die mutmaßlichen Taten als „massiven Angriff auf die Persönlichkeitsrechte der betroffenen Schülerinnen“ und als „Form sexualisierter Gewalt“.'; 'Als Reaktion wolle die Schule ihr Präventionskonzept sowie das Konzept zur Sexualerziehung überarbeiten.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The two pupils alleged to be mainly responsible were suspended from lessons with immediate effect and the school imposed measures on pupils who are said to have known of the images and not reported them; the school called the alleged acts a massive attack on the affected girls' personality rights and a form of sexualised violence and said it would revise its prevention and sex-education concepts.", "causal_attribution": "The school's letter as reported." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'„Es liegen Anzeigen wegen der Erstellung sogenannter Deepfakes vor“, sagte ein Sprecher der Berliner Polizei.'; 'Die Ermittlungen dazu habe die Abteilung des Landeskriminalamts übernommen, die für Sexualdelikte zum Nachteil Minderjähriger zuständig sei.'; 'Dabei komme eine Strafbarkeit wegen des Besitzes, der Beschaffung, der Erstellung oder Verbreitung von Jugendpornografie nach Paragraf 184 c des Strafgesetzbuchs in Betracht.'; 'Die Schule habe die Polizei eingeschaltet, die Ermittlungen würden im Auftrag der Staatsanwaltschaft geführt.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "A Berlin police spokesman said complaints had been filed over the creation of deepfakes, that the State Criminal Police Office unit for sexual offences against minors had taken over the investigation, and that liability for possessing, obtaining, creating or distributing youth pornography under section 184c of the Criminal Code was under consideration; the school's letter says the investigation is conducted on behalf of the public prosecutor.", "causal_attribution": "Police spokesman as quoted by the Tagesspiegel; the prosecutor's role is the school letter's statement." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "female pupils depicted in AI-generated sexualised nude images distributed at their school, described by the school as sexualised violence", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/schule/polizei-eingeschaltet-jugendliche-sollen-ki-nacktbilder-von-mitschulerinnen-an-berliner-schule-verbreitet-haben-15754057.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "de", "translation_note": "Read live in German on 2026-09-22 (Der Tagesspiegel, 24 June 2026 14:39, marked 'Update', with dpa). Own reporting: the school leadership's letter to parents, statements from the Senate Department for Education, a Berlin police spokesman and the Pankow district parents' committee. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "tagesspiegel" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "How many girls were depicted; 'at least three cases' is a count of alleged acts, not of persons.", "The ages of the suspects and of the depicted pupils, and the tool used.", "When the images were created and how they were distributed.", "Whether charges followed; no development after June 2026 was found on 2026-09-22.", "The Berliner Morgenpost's first report was not read.", "The date of the school's letter is not given; 19 June 2026 assumes 'am vergangenen Freitag' is relative to the week of the 24 June report." ], "geography": { "basis": "Heinz-Brandt-Schule, Berlin-Weißensee, Pankow district; Berlin police and public prosecutor (Tagesspiegel). No court proceeding reported.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "DE" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "DE" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting minors at a school, documented by the school's letter, the Senate education administration and the police through one newspaper's own reporting (single article, several official origins, recorded as reported). Not a death case. Nobody is named.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The school's letter and the Senate education administration describe KI-generated sexualised nude images; the police spokesman refers to complaints over the creation of deepfakes. No tool is named and no forensic detail is public. The artifacts depicted the girls; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Berlin-Weißensee: two pupils of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule are suspected of creating and distributing AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates in at least three cases; the school suspended them and sanctioned pupils who are said to have known and not reported, and the police's sexual-offences unit investigates with liability under section 184c StGB (youth pornography) under consideration", "summary": "On 'the previous Friday' (19 June 2026, read relative to the 24 June 2026 report) the leadership of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee (Pankow district) learned that two of its pupils were suspected of having created and distributed AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates; the school wrote to parents that it was 'shocked and appalled' that classmates' photographs had been abused in this way and described the alleged acts as a massive attack on the personality rights of the affected girls and a form of sexualised violence. The two pupils alleged to be mainly responsible were suspended from lessons with immediate effect, and the school imposed measures on pupils who are said to have known about the images without reporting them. The Senate Department for Education confirmed the incidents and the ongoing investigation in the Tagesspiegel's report of 24 June 2026. The school's letter says the investigation is conducted on behalf of the public prosecutor. A Berlin police spokesman said complaints had been filed over the creation of so-called deepfakes, that the investigation had been taken over by the State Criminal Police Office unit responsible for sexual offences against minors, and that criminal liability for possessing, obtaining, creating or distributing youth pornography under section 184c of the Criminal Code was under consideration; the police gave no further details, citing victim protection. At least three cases are alleged. The school said it would revise its prevention and sex-education concepts and asked parents to talk to their children about handling other people's photographs and AI applications. Nobody is named; the number of girls depicted is not reported.", "incidentDate": "2026-06-19", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-06-24", "aiSystem": "AI image-generation ('deepfake') tool, not named", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Female pupils were depicted in AI-generated sexualised nude images that were distributed at their school, which the school describes as a massive attack on their personality rights and a form of sexualised violence; the creation and distribution are attributed by the school's letter to two suspended pupils, and the police confirm complaints over the creation of deepfakes and an investigation by the LKA unit for sexual offences against minors. No account from the depicted girls has been published.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The report speaks of 'Mitschülerinnen' (female classmates, plural) and of 'mindestens drei Fälle' (at least three cases) alleged against the pupils, without stating how many girls were depicted; a count of cases is not a count of persons. Unquantified, with zero placeholders.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "DE-BE", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/schule/polizei-eingeschaltet-jugendliche-sollen-ki-nacktbilder-von-mitschulerinnen-an-berliner-schule-verbreitet-haben-15754057.html", "primarySourceLabel": "Der Tagesspiegel, 24 June 2026: Polizei eingeschaltet: Jugendliche sollen KI-Nacktbilder von Mitschülerinnen an Berliner Schule verbreitet haben", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-22T03:45:58.07027+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "minor", "school", "germany", "berlin", "pankow", "184c-stgb", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-texas-goodwin-ai-deepfake-campaign-ads-sheriff-complaint", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'has filed a police report accusing Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of violating Texas law after his campaign released two ads featuring AI-generated videos of Goodwin.'; 'submitted with a complaint filed Saturday with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'filed a police report saying that artificial intelligence-generated ads released by Patrick's campaign in September violated state law.'; 'The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed receipt of Goodwin's complaint but did not offer additional comment.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'according to a notarized affidavit she filed Saturday with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "On Saturday 19 September 2026 Vikki Goodwin filed a complaint with a sworn affidavit at the Travis County Sheriff's Office accusing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of violating the 2019 Texas election deepfake law after his campaign posted two ads with AI-generated videos of her; the sheriff's office confirmed receipt of the complaint.", "causal_attribution": "The filing is reported from the affidavit (Tribune, KXAN) and confirmed by the sheriff's office (KUT)." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'I did not personally do or say the things depicted in the video; although the ‘person’ in the video appears to be me, it was not actually me'; 'Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick posted the video with the intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate, or influence the result of an election'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The affidavit alleges two instances of AI-generated deepfakes targeting Goodwin, the first on Sept. 5 (27 workdays prior to Oct. 19) and the second on Sept. 12 (23 workdays).'; 'Both of the videos were posted by Patrick’s non-government account on the social media website X'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'The AI ads were making it look as though I'm in favor of increasing taxes, and of course, nobody wants their taxes to be increased, so that's going to turn voters off'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "In the affidavit Goodwin stated that she did not do or say the things depicted, that the person in the video appeared to be her but was not, and that Patrick posted the video with intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate or influence the election; the affidavit identifies two posts, on 5 and 12 September 2026, on Patrick's non-government X account; Goodwin told KUT the ads made it look as though she favoured raising taxes.", "causal_attribution": "The candidate's sworn allegations and interview statements; not independently established beyond the existence and contents of the affidavit." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Allen Blakemore, a campaign spokesman for Patrick, told the New York Times that the material was “an obvious parody produced to entertain.”'; 'Furthermore, we have not published or distributed any of these parodies within 30 days of the election.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Patrick campaign spokesman Allen Blakemore told The New York Times on Saturday that the videos were “an obvious parody produced to entertain.”'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'KUT News also reached out to Patrick’s campaign, but has not yet received a response.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Patrick's campaign spokesman told the New York Times the material was 'an obvious parody produced to entertain' and that none of it was published or distributed within 30 days of the election; KUT received no response from the campaign.", "causal_attribution": "The campaign's response as relayed from the New York Times, which this review could not read." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Goodwin cited a 2019 Texas law banning the deepfake videos from being published or distributed within 30 days of an election.'; 'defines a deepfake video as appearing to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur, with the intent to deceive.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'A conviction under the deepfake law is a class A misdemeanor, which can carry a fine of up to $4,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment.'; 'while Election Day is Nov. 3, early voting begins Oct. 19.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "The 2019 Texas law bans deepfake videos, defined as appearing to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur with intent to deceive, within 30 days of an election; early voting begins on 19 October 2026; a conviction is a class A misdemeanour with up to a $4,000 fine and a year in jail.", "causal_attribution": "Legal background as described by the outlets; whether the posts fall within the statutory window is disputed between the campaigns." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The posts were still public when Goodwin filed her police report and affidavit on Sept. 19 but were taken down the following day, according to Sophia Mirto, Goodwin’s communications director.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'However, links to the posts lead to messages saying that the posts don’t exist.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'Goodwin linked to two specific posts on X; however, those posts now appear to have been deleted.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The two posts are no longer available on X; according to Goodwin's communications director they were taken down on 20 September 2026, the day after the complaint.", "causal_attribution": "The deletion date is the Goodwin campaign's account; KXAN and KUT observed only that the posts no longer resolve." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "the candidate was depicted in AI-generated campaign videos saying things she did not say, which she says misrepresented her tax position to voters", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "she filed a sworn criminal complaint; the posts were removed the following day, her campaign says", "claim_id": "c5", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/texas-goodwin-patrick-ad-police-complaint/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (The Texas Tribune, 21 September 2026 17:48 Central). Affidavit shared with the Tribune; Patrick campaign statement relayed from the New York Times; communications director on the deletion.", "independence_group": "texas-tribune" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.kut.org/politics/2026-09-21/vikki-goodwin-dan-patrick-ai-deepfake-campaign-ads-texas-lieutenant-governor-race", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (KUT Austin, 21 September 2026 13:03 CDT). Own interview with Goodwin on Monday; the Travis County Sheriff's Office confirmed receipt of the complaint to KUT.", "independence_group": "kut" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/09/21/562352/vikki-goodwin-files-police-report-saying-dan-patrick-broke-law-with-ai-generated-campaign-ads/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (Houston Public Media, 21 September 2026). Same KUT report; grouped with s2.", "independence_group": "kut" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/lt-gov-candidate-goodwin-reports-dan-patrick-social-media-deepfakes-to-travis-county-sheriff/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (KXAN Austin, AMP page, 21 September 2026; JSON-LD retained). Affidavit dates of the two posts, misdemeanour penalty, Patrick campaign statement relayed from the New York Times.", "independence_group": "kxan" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/19/us/vikki-goodwin-dan-patrick-ai-attack-ads-texas.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "New York Times, 19 September 2026: answered HTTP 403 on 2026-09-21 and 2026-09-22; its content is known only through the Tribune and KXAN. Not relied on.", "independence_group": "nyt" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "elections", "justice", "public_life" ], "unknowns": [ "What the two videos showed and said; they were deleted, and the inspected reports describe them only as an AI-generated Goodwin describing her policies (KUT relaying the New York Times) with a tax theme (Goodwin to KUT).", "Which tool produced the videos and who made them for the campaign.", "Whether the Travis County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation; Goodwin herself doubted it would.", "Whether the 5 and 12 September posts fall within the statutory 30-day window, which the two campaigns dispute.", "The New York Times report that first carried the campaign's response could not be read." ], "geography": { "basis": "Posts on the X account of the Texas lieutenant governor concerning a Texas election; complaint filed with the Travis County Sheriff's Office in Austin, Texas (Tribune, KUT, KXAN). No court proceeding exists.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation case involving a public figure: a candidate depicted by AI-generated video in an opponent's ads, with a sworn complaint filed and the posts removed. Four bodies read across three reporting chains (the affidavit via the Tribune and KXAN, the sheriff's confirmation via KUT, the opposing campaign via the Times). The depiction is undisputed; deception and illegality are disputed and recorded as such. Both principals are public officials.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Texas Tribune, KUT and KXAN describe the two ads as AI-generated videos of Goodwin; her affidavit says the person in the video appears to be her but is not; the Patrick campaign does not deny the videos were generated and describes them as parody. The tool is not identified and the videos are no longer online.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Texas: State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, filed a sworn complaint with the Travis County Sheriff's Office on 19 September 2026 alleging that two campaign ads posted on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's X account used AI-generated video of her saying things she never said; the posts were deleted the next day, her campaign says, and Patrick's campaign calls them obvious parody", "summary": "On Saturday 19 September 2026 Vikki Goodwin, an Austin state representative running against Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, filed a complaint with a notarised affidavit at the Travis County Sheriff's Office accusing Patrick of violating Texas's 2019 election deepfake law, after his campaign posted two ads (5 and 12 September, on his non-government X account) containing AI-generated videos of her. In the affidavit she stated: 'I did not personally do or say the things depicted in the video; although the \"person\" in the video appears to be me, it was not actually me', and that the video was posted 'with the intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate, or influence the result of an election'. She told KUT the ads made it look as though she favoured raising taxes, which she says she opposes in every campaign speech. The sheriff's office confirmed receipt of the complaint without further comment. Patrick's campaign spokesman told the New York Times the material was 'an obvious parody produced to entertain' and that none of it was published within 30 days of the election; the posts were taken down the day after the complaint, according to Goodwin's communications director. Goodwin said she doubted the sheriff's office would follow up now that the posts were removed. A conviction under the law is a class A misdemeanour.", "incidentDate": "2026-09-05", "incidentEndDate": "2026-09-20", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-19", "aiSystem": "AI-generated video (deepfake) of the candidate in two campaign ads; tool not identified", "severity": "low", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A candidate was depicted in AI-generated campaign videos saying things she did not say, which she says misrepresented her position on taxes to voters; she filed a sworn criminal complaint and the posts were removed the next day. The depiction is undisputed (the Patrick campaign calls the videos parody); whether it was deceptive or unlawful is disputed and unresolved.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "disputed", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One depicted person, the candidate who filed the complaint. Exact 1. Voters said to have been misled are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-TX", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/texas-goodwin-patrick-ad-police-complaint/", "primarySourceLabel": "The Texas Tribune, 21 September 2026: In lieutenant governor race, Vikki Goodwin says Dan Patrick ads are illegal AI deepfakes", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-22T03:45:53.964979+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-video", "election", "political-advertising", "texas", "travis-county", "public-figure", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-henderson-kentucky-south-middle-school-ai-nude-images-juvenile-charged", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Henderson Police say last Thursday, they received a report of AI-generated nude images of children being created and shown to other students.'; 'During the investigation, officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'A student at South Middle School is facing charges after allegations of misusing AI to create sexual images.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Henderson Police said that on 'last Thursday' (17 September 2026) they received a report of AI-generated nude images of children being created and shown to other students at South Middle School, and that during the investigation officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device.", "causal_attribution": "Police statement relayed by one broadcaster; 'last Thursday' relative to the Monday 21 September report is 17 September 2026." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A juvenile was accused of sharing the images. They were lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center for:'; 'Distribution of sexually explicit images without consent.'; 'Possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor O/12 <18 x2'; 'Distribution of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor O/ 12 <18'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "A juvenile accused of sharing the images was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center on three charge types: distribution of sexually explicit images without consent; two counts of possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18.", "causal_attribution": "Police statement relayed by one broadcaster." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'We are aware of a situation at South Middle School involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence (AI) and inappropriate images.'; 'South Middle School has remained in communication with families involved in this incident.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The school said it was aware of a situation involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence and inappropriate images, that Henderson Police were investigating, and that it had remained in communication with the families involved.", "causal_attribution": "School statement given to the broadcaster on 21 September 2026." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "two children depicted in AI-generated nude images that were created and shown to other students", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.14news.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (14 News / WFIE Evansville, published 21 September 2026 12:30 CDT). Henderson Police Department statement and the school's statement.", "independence_group": "wfie-hpd" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.wkyt.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (WKYT Lexington, 21 September 2026). Same WFIE report; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "wfie-hpd" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/middle-school-student-accused-of-sharing-ai-generated-csam-with-classmates/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW), 21 September 2026: answered HTTP 403 on 2026-09-22; headline only. Not relied on.", "independence_group": "weht" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The tool used and how the images were made.", "The exact ages of the depicted children (the charge descriptors give over 12 and under 18) and the age of the accused, described only as a student at the school.", "When the images were created and how widely they were shown.", "The outcome of the juvenile proceedings.", "Whether the depicted children or their families have described the effect on them." ], "geography": { "basis": "South Middle School, Henderson, Kentucky (Henderson Police Department and the school via 14 News). The juvenile was lodged at a detention centre; no court proceeding is reported, so no court country is recorded.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting two identified minors, documented by a police statement and a school statement carried by one broadcaster (single reporting chain, recorded as such). Not a death case. Nobody involved is named.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Henderson Police said the images were AI-generated nude images of children and that officers identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims; the school refers to a student allegedly misusing AI. No tool is named and no forensic detail is public. The artifacts depicted the children; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Henderson, Kentucky: police identified AI-generated nude images of two middle-school children on a device after a report that such images were being created and shown to other students at South Middle School; a juvenile was lodged at the juvenile detention centre on charges of distributing sexually explicit images without consent and possessing and distributing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor", "summary": "Henderson Police said that on 'last Thursday' (17 September 2026) they received a report that AI-generated nude images of children were being created and shown to other students at South Middle School in Henderson, Kentucky. During the investigation officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device. A juvenile accused of sharing the images was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center on three charge types: distribution of sexually explicit images without consent; two counts of possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18. The school said on Monday 21 September that it was aware of a situation involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence and inappropriate images, that the police investigation was active and that it had remained in communication with the families involved. 14 News (WFIE) reported the case on 21 September; WKYT carried the same report. The tool is not named. The depicted children's exact ages are not reported, though the charge descriptors put them between 12 and 18. The accused is described as a South Middle School student; the accused's age and any relationship to the depicted children beyond attending the same school are not reported.", "incidentDate": "2026-09-17", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-21", "aiSystem": "AI image-generation tool, not named in the report", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Two children were depicted in AI-generated nude images that, according to the report, were created and shown to other students; police attribute the sharing of the images to a juvenile who has been charged, and the school describes a student allegedly misusing AI. No account of the children's own experience has been published.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police said officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device, and the possession charge carries two counts (14 News, 21 September 2026). Documented minimum 2: the count is of victims identified on one device during what the school calls an active law-enforcement matter. The accused juvenile is not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-KY", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.14news.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/", "primarySourceLabel": "14 News (WFIE), 21 September 2026: HPD: Juvenile charged after AI-generated explicit photos of middle schoolers shared with classmates", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-22T03:45:52.580941+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "minor", "school", "kentucky", "henderson", "juvenile", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-cookeville-tennessee-high-school-ai-deepfake-images-two-juveniles-charged", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'learned about possible sharing of sexually explicit images at the school.'; 'Investigators say two teenagers got photos from the internet and used an AI program to turn them into sexual images, then shared those pictures with others.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of the incident on August 31.'; 'Detectives discovered that the juveniles used an artificial intelligence program to create sexually explicit images using photos found online, then distributed the images. Authorities also said explicit images already stored on one juvenile’s phone were shared.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'the male teen students used an artificial intelligence program to create deepfake images -- in some cases using photos of fellow female students -- placing their faces on sexually explicit images ... and then posting them on social media.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "On 31 August 2026 the Putnam County Sheriff's Office was notified of possible sharing of sexually explicit images at Cookeville High School; investigators found that two teenage students had used an artificial-intelligence program to turn photographs obtained online, in some cases photographs of fellow female students, into sexually explicit images and had shared or posted them, and that explicit images already stored on one phone were also shared.", "causal_attribution": "The sheriff's office is the origin of this account in every report, including NewsChannel 5's interview with the sheriff; it is not independently established." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Deputies took both teenagers to the Putnam County Juvenile Detention Center.'; 'One is charged with one count of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, while the other faces two counts of each charge.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The second juvenile was charged with two counts each of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'He says the suspects will be prosecuted in juvenile court and hopes a lesson is learned.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Both juveniles were taken to the Putnam County Juvenile Detention Center; one was charged with one count each of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, the other with two counts of each; the district attorney said they will be prosecuted in juvenile court.", "causal_attribution": "Charges per the sheriff's office; prosecution venue per the district attorney's interview." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A mother of one of the girls says she and her daughter closely monitor their social media content. It's frustrating that this happened ... and was very hard on her daughter.'; 'She didn't make any naked photos and it still happens ... with AI, we can't do anything. She wouldn't talk to me or anybody ... locked herself in her room. She wouldn't even talk to her friends.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "The mother of one of the depicted girls told NewsChannel 5 that the episode was very hard on her daughter, who had made no naked photographs herself, locked herself in her room and would not talk to her, to anybody or to her friends.", "causal_attribution": "The mother's account to one station; the daughter is not identified." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'students caught making, sharing, or keeping digitally altered images designed to embarrass or harm someone else will face the strongest penalties allowed'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'students involved in creating, possessing or distributing altered visual media intended to embarrass, harass, humiliate or harm others will face discipline to the fullest extent allowed by policy.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The Putnam County School System said students who create, share or keep digitally altered images intended to embarrass, harass, humiliate or harm others will face the strongest penalties allowed by policy.", "causal_attribution": "School system statement relayed with the sheriff's-office account." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "female students depicted in AI-made sexually explicit images that were shared and posted on social media", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "a depicted girl shut herself in her room and stopped talking to family and friends, her mother says", "claim_id": "c3", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://fox17.com/news/local/cookeville-high-teens-accused-of-using-ai-for-explicit-images", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (WZTV/FOX17 Nashville, 1 September 2026). Relays the Putnam County Sheriff's Office account and the school system's statement.", "independence_group": "pcso-release" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.wsmv.com/2026/09/02/high-school-students-accused-distributing-ai-generated-explicit-images-middle-tn-sheriffs-office-says/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (WSMV Nashville, 2 September 2026). Same sheriff's-office account; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "pcso-release" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://3bmedianews.com/two-cookeville-high-school-juveniles-arrested-for-distributing-ai-generated-explicit-images/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (3B Media News, Upper Cumberland, 2 September 2026). Same sheriff's-office account; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "pcso-release" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.newschannel5.com/news/state/tennessee/putnam-county/two-teens-arrested-after-ai-generated-explicit-deepfakes-shared-at-tenn-high-school", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (NewsChannel 5 / WTVF Nashville, published 21 September 2026 16:40 CDT; JSON-LD articleBody also retained). Own reporting: interviews with Sheriff Eddie Farris, District Attorney Bryant Dunaway and the mother of one depicted girl.", "independence_group": "wtvf" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/cookeville-school-ai-images-arrests/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "WKRN (2 September 2026) answered HTTP 403 live, via the Internet Archive capture of 3 September 2026 and via r.jina.ai on 2026-09-22; headline only. Not relied on.", "independence_group": "wkrn" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice", "everyday_life" ], "unknowns": [ "The AI program used and how the images were made.", "How many students were depicted; the sheriff says photographs of fellow female students were used in some cases.", "When the images were created and posted (the sheriff's office was notified on 31 August 2026; the sheriff spoke of 'last month' on 21 September).", "The outcome of the juvenile-court proceedings.", "Whether the depicted students received support from the school." ], "geography": { "basis": "Cookeville High School, Putnam County, Tennessee (sheriff's office via WZTV, WSMV, 3B Media News; NewsChannel 5). The district attorney says the case will be prosecuted in juvenile court; no court record or hearing was reported, so no court country is recorded.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting minors, documented by the sheriff's-office account through three outlets and by a station's own interviews with the sheriff, the district attorney and a parent. Not a death case. The juveniles and the depicted students are unnamed; officials are named.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Putnam County Sheriff's Office says the two students used an artificial-intelligence program to turn photographs obtained online into sexually explicit images; Sheriff Farris told NewsChannel 5 the program was used to create deepfake images placing female students' faces on sexually explicit images. No tool is named and no forensic report is public. The AI artifacts depicted the girls; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Cookeville, Tennessee: two high-school students were charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor after the sheriff's office said they used an AI program to turn photographs, including those of female classmates, into sexually explicit images and posted them; the mother of one depicted girl says her daughter shut herself in her room and stopped talking to friends", "summary": "On 31 August 2026 the Putnam County Sheriff's Office was told of possible sharing of sexually explicit images at Cookeville High School. Detectives found that two male teenage students had used an artificial-intelligence program to turn photographs obtained online, in some cases photographs of fellow female students, into sexually explicit images, and had shared them; explicit images already stored on one phone were also shared. Both juveniles were taken to the Putnam County Juvenile Detention Center. One was charged with one count each of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, the other with two counts of each. The district attorney told NewsChannel 5 on 21 September that the two would be prosecuted in juvenile court. The mother of one of the depicted girls told the station the episode was very hard on her daughter, who had made no naked photographs herself, locked herself in her room and would not talk to her, to anybody or to her friends. The sheriff's-office account and the school system's statement were carried by WZTV, WSMV and 3B Media News on 1-2 September; NewsChannel 5 added its own interviews with the sheriff, the district attorney and the mother on 21 September. The tool is not named. The juveniles are not named in any report.", "incidentDate": "2026-08-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-01", "aiSystem": "AI image-generation or editing program, not named in any report", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Female students were depicted in AI-made sexually explicit images that were shared and posted on social media; the mother of one girl reports that her daughter withdrew, shut herself in her room and stopped talking to family and friends. The images and their sharing are attributed by the sheriff's office to two students who have been charged; the girl's distress is her mother's account.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "One depicted girl is counted from her mother's account to NewsChannel 5; the sheriff says photographs of fellow female students were used 'in some cases' and NewsChannel 5 refers to 'the victims' and 'one of the girls' in the plural, but no number is reported. Partial: 1 counted plus an unquantified number of other depicted students. The two charged juveniles are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-TN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.newschannel5.com/news/state/tennessee/putnam-county/two-teens-arrested-after-ai-generated-explicit-deepfakes-shared-at-tenn-high-school", "primarySourceLabel": "NewsChannel 5 (WTVF), 21 September 2026: Two teens arrested after AI-generated explicit deepfakes shared at Tenn. high school", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-22T03:45:51.212898+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "minor", "school", "tennessee", "cookeville", "juvenile-court", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-netherlands-mrdeepfakes-74-year-old-prosecuted-deepfake-sex-videos-public-figures", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Managers en woordvoerders van verschillende slachtoffers bevestigen aan de NOS dat zij aangifte hebben gedaan of dat zij juridische stappen overwegen'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'BBB-leider Caroline van der Plas, die bij Humberto zei dat de video voelt als \"digitale verkrachting\"'; '\"Ik doe geen aangifte voor mezelf, maar om nieuwe, jonge slachtoffers te voorkomen.\"'; 'Erachter komen dat ik in een deepfake pornovideo zit, was misselijkmakend.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'De zaak kwam in maart 2024 aan het licht. Vrouwelijke politici, olympische sporters, presentatrices en leden van het Koninklijk Huis doken op in gemanipuleerde pornovideo's'; 'Tientallen vrouwen deden aangifte.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "In March 2024 a large number of Dutch women in public life, including presenters and politicians, were found to appear in manipulated pornographic videos on an online platform; dozens filed complaints and several described the harm publicly.", "causal_attribution": "AD's 2024 investigation as reported by NOS, with victims' public statements." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Op zijn computer en andere gegevensdragers werden beelden aangetroffen van ongeveer zestig bekende Nederlanders en politici'; 'Naar aanleiding daarvan deden meer dan twintig mensen aangifte. De Noord-Hollander zou volgens het AD de meest actieve Nederlandse gebruiker van het platform zijn geweest'; 'Sommige video's werden tienduizenden keren bekeken'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'De man kwam in beeld door onderzoek naar het beruchte platform MrDeepFakes. Dat leidde tot meer dan twintig aangiftes'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "Images of about sixty well-known Dutch people and politicians were found on the suspect's computer and data carriers; AD's investigation into MrDeepFakes led to more than twenty complaints; according to AD he had been the platform's most active Dutch user, and some videos were viewed tens of thousands of times.", "causal_attribution": "AD's reporting of the OM's findings, relayed by NH Nieuws and Hart van Nederland; one chain." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Het Openbaar Ministerie gaat een 74-jarige man uit Noord-Holland vervolgen voor het maken van deepfakeporno van tientallen bekende Nederlandse vrouwen. Dat bevestigt een woordvoerder van het OM'; 'Na ruim een jaar onderzoek heeft justitie besloten hem voor de rechter te brengen'; 'De man riskeert een celstraf van maximaal twee jaar'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Het Openbaar Ministerie (OM) heeft na ruim een jaar onderzoek besloten de man voor de rechter te brengen'; 'De 74-jarige man kan daarvoor maximaal twee jaar gevangenisstraf krijgen'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "After more than a year of investigation the OM decided to prosecute a 74-year-old man from Noord-Holland for making deepfake porn of dozens of well-known Dutch women; the maximum sentence is two years' imprisonment.", "causal_attribution": "OM spokesperson to NOS (after AD's report) and to AD (relayed by NH Nieuws); two chains for the decision itself." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Zij zegt tegen het AD opgelucht te zijn dat de zaak voor de rechter komt. Volgens haar heeft zij zelf ervaren welke impact dergelijke nepbeelden kunnen hebben.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "One of the presenters reported to be among the depicted said she was relieved the case would come to court, having experienced the impact of such fake images herself.", "causal_attribution": "Her statement to AD as relayed by NH Nieuws." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Meerdere vrouwelijke bekende Nederlanders overwegen juridische stappen omdat zij zijn opgedoken in gemanipuleerde pornovideo's. Deze video's staan op een online platform met maandelijks 13 miljoen bezoekers, schrijft het AD'; 'Nederlandse artiesten, tv-presentatrices, olympische sporters, (oud-)ministers, burgemeesters en leden van het Koninklijk Huis voorkomen'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'De video's stonden op een online platform met maandelijks 13 miljoen bezoekers'", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "AD reported that the platform had 13 million monthly visitors and that the depicted people included Dutch artists, television presenters, Olympic athletes, current and former ministers, mayors and members of the royal family.", "causal_attribution": "AD's 2024 investigation, relayed by NOS; one chain." }, { "id": "c6", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Hij is op de hoogte van het besluit, zegt het OM tegen de krant'; 'De website waar de video's op stonden, werd opgericht en gerund door een Canadees uit Toronto. Hij verwijderde eerder al beelden op verzoek van het OM en blokkeerde de website voor Nederlandse IP-adressen'; 'De Canadees wordt niet vervolgd. Wat hij deed, was in Canada niet strafbaar. En het Nederlandse Openbaar Ministerie gaat niet proberen om hem naar Nederland te halen. Dat zou te veel politiecapaciteit vergen, laat het OM weten aan het AD.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'De verdachte zit niet vast. Het is nog niet bekend wanneer de zaak inhoudelijk voor de rechter komt'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The suspect has been informed of the decision and is not in custody; no hearing date is known. The platform's founder-operator, a Canadian from Toronto who had removed images at the OM's request and blocked Dutch IP addresses before the site went offline, will not be prosecuted because his conduct was not punishable in Canada and the OM will not try to bring him to the Netherlands.", "causal_attribution": "OM statements to AD, relayed by NOS and NH Nieuws; one chain." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "dozens of women in Dutch public life depicted without consent in pornographic deepfake videos on a platform AD said had 13 million monthly visitors; complaints filed; public statements of harm", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "a 74-year-old man to be prosecuted after more than a year of investigation, facing up to two years' imprisonment", "claim_id": "c3", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://nos.nl/artikel/2631746-om-gaat-74-jarige-man-vervolgen-voor-maken-deepfakeporno-van-bn-ers", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "nl", "translation_note": "Read live in Dutch on 2026-09-21 (HTTP 200; published 2026-09-20 12:26). An OM spokesperson confirmed the prosecution decision to NOS after AD's reporting; NOS adds its own 2024 reporting and the OM's position on the platform operator. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "nos-2026" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/363601/om-vervolgt-74-jarige-man-uit-noord-holland-voor-deepfake-seksvideos", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "nl", "translation_note": "Read live in Dutch on 2026-09-21 (NH Nieuws, published 2026-09-20 15:35 CEST (13:35 UTC)). Relays AD's report (which spoke to an OM spokesperson): devices, 'about sixty' people, more than twenty complaints, most active Dutch user, a presenter's reaction. AD itself answered 403. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "ad" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.hartvannederland.nl/tech/nieuws/artikelen/man-rechter-deepfake-seksvideos-bners", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "nl", "translation_note": "Read live in Dutch on 2026-09-21 (Hart van Nederland, published 2026-09-20 11:43). Relays AD; grouped with s2. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "ad" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://nos.nl/artikel/2513371-vrouwelijke-bn-ers-overwegen-aangifte-vanwege-deepfake-pornovideo-s", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "nl", "translation_note": "Read live in Dutch on 2026-09-21 (NOS, 19 March 2024). NOS's own 2024 report on the AD revelations, with confirmations from victims' managers and the minister's reaction. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "nos-2024" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://nos.nl/artikel/2513552-wel-of-niet-zeggen-dat-je-in-een-neppornovideo-zit-bn-ers-worstelen-ermee", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "nl", "translation_note": "Read live in Dutch on 2026-09-21 (NOS, 20 March 2024). Own reporting with victims' public statements and a quote given to NOS. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "nos-2024" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/gepensioneerde-man-74-wordt-vervolgd-voor-maken-deepfake-seksvideos-van-zestig-bners~aa272972/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "Original AD report of 19 September 2026; the live page answered HTTP 403 (DPG paywall) and the Internet Archive CDX service was offline on 2026-09-21. Its contents are known only through s2, s3 and s1. The 19 September date rests on Google News feed metadata, not on the body.", "independence_group": "ad" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "privacy", "justice", "everyday_life" ], "unknowns": [ "When the videos were made and over what period; the tools used.", "The exact number of depicted people and of complainants ('about sixty'; 'more than twenty').", "The charges' legal basis and whether distribution as well as creation is charged; no hearing date.", "The suspect's identity beyond age and province is not reported and is not sought here.", "The AD original could not be read; its details are known through relays.", "The range start (19 March 2024) is the date the videos' existence was publicly revealed and complaints began; the videos were made and posted at unreported earlier dates. The range end (19 September 2026) is the date the prosecution decision was reported; the OM's decision date is not stated." ], "geography": { "basis": "The suspect is from Noord-Holland and the videos were made at his home (NH Nieuws citing AD); the depicted people are Dutch public figures; the platform was operated from Toronto (NOS). The prosecution decision is by the Dutch OM; no hearing has been scheduled, so no court country is recorded.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "NL" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "NL" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting identifiable people, with harm described publicly by several of the depicted women and a prosecution decision confirmed by the Public Prosecution Service to NOS. Five Dutch bodies read (two NOS chains and the AD relay chain); the AD original is unavailable. Depicted people who spoke publicly are quoted in locators but not named in the record; the suspect is not named.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-21" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "NOS, NH Nieuws and Hart van Nederland describe the videos as deepfakes in which the faces of known women were placed on pornographic footage, and the OM's prosecution, as confirmed to NOS, is for making deepfake porn (Hart van Nederland says he is suspected of making and distributing the videos); the specific tools are not identified in any inspected source.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Netherlands: the Public Prosecution Service will prosecute a 74-year-old man from Noord-Holland for making deepfake sex videos of dozens of Dutch public figures, including presenters, politicians and a member of the royal family (images of about sixty people were found on his devices), after the 2024 revelations about the MrDeepFakes platform", "summary": "In March 2024 the newspaper AD revealed that a large number of Dutch women in public life, including artists, television presenters, Olympic athletes, current and former ministers, mayors and members of the royal family, appeared in manipulated pornographic videos on an online platform with 13 million monthly visitors, later identified as MrDeepFakes. Dozens of women filed police complaints and several spoke publicly: one presenter said she was preparing a complaint, a party leader said the video felt like 'digital rape', another presenter said she would file a complaint 'because tomorrow it could happen to young girls of sixteen', a presenter-entrepreneur did so 'to prevent new, young victims', and a member of parliament, told of a video by the House security service, went public rather than 'keep it small'. On 19 and 20 September 2026 AD, and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) confirming to NOS, reported that after more than a year of investigation the OM will prosecute a 74-year-old man from Noord-Holland, who is not in custody, for making the videos (Hart van Nederland, citing AD, says he is suspected of making and distributing them); images of about sixty well-known Dutch people and politicians were found on his devices, AD reported that he had been the platform's most active Dutch user, and he faces up to two years' imprisonment. The platform's Canadian operator, who removed material at the OM's request and blocked Dutch IP addresses before the site went offline, will not be prosecuted. One of the presenters reported to be among the depicted told AD she was relieved the case would go to court, having experienced the impact of such images herself. No hearing date has been set.", "incidentDate": "2024-03-19", "incidentEndDate": "2026-09-19", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2024-03-19", "aiSystem": "Face-swap deepfake video tools (not identified); videos published on the MrDeepFakes platform", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Dozens of women in Dutch public life (images of about sixty people were found on the suspect's devices) were depicted without consent in pornographic deepfake videos, some viewed tens of thousands of times; those who spoke publicly described the experience as sickening and as 'digital rape', and one was advised by parliamentary security to stay silent (NOS 2024; NH Nieuws and Hart van Nederland citing AD, 2026). The 2026 prosecution decision is the consequence for the alleged maker.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 20, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "NH Nieuws and Hart van Nederland, citing AD, report that the MrDeepFakes investigation led to more than twenty complaints ('meer dan twintig aangiften'), a documented lower bound of 20 depicted complainants; images of about sixty well-known people were found on the suspect's devices, but 'ongeveer zestig' is approximate and not all are confirmed as depicted victims. Documented minimum 20.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "NL", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://nos.nl/artikel/2631746-om-gaat-74-jarige-man-vervolgen-voor-maken-deepfakeporno-van-bn-ers", "primarySourceLabel": "NOS, 20 September 2026: OM gaat 74-jarige man vervolgen voor maken deepfakeporno van BN'ers (OM spokesperson confirms after AD's report)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-21T04:11:25.939553+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ncii", "sexual-deepfake", "mrdeepfakes", "public-figures", "politicians", "royal-family", "prosecution", "netherlands", "noord-holland", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-rajasthan-influencer-ganga-dip-ai-deepfake-reel", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The victim had visited Haridwar with her family in June to take a dip in the Ganga. On June 6, she also uploaded a video on social media showing herself taking a dip in the river while wearing a salwar suit. The video was edited to create a fake version, which went viral last week'; 'Around two months later, she suddenly discovered that the original video had been manipulated using AI to create and circulate an objectionable video showing the same movements. Her face and body were portrayed in a shameful manner in the fake video.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "On 6 June 2026 the influencer uploaded a video of herself taking a dip in the Ganga at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, wearing a salwar suit; about two months later she discovered that it had been manipulated with AI into an objectionable video showing the same movements, which went viral in the week before 20 September 2026.", "causal_attribution": "The victim's account as reported; the AI characterisation is the report's." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'I am mentally very disturbed. People are commenting... I have reached a point where I cannot even step out of my house.'; 'In a statement, the victim said the fake video had caused her severe mental distress. People were posting objectionable comments under the video, while several others were also sharing it.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "She said the fake video caused her severe mental distress, that people were posting objectionable comments and sharing it, and that she had reached a point where she could not step out of her house; she appealed for its removal as a matter of her dignity.", "causal_attribution": "The victim's statement." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The victim then filed a complaint with the cyber crime police on September 16.'; 'RPS officer Pallavi Gupta, who is investigating the case, said they are trying to establish who created and circulated the video. Efforts are also being made to remove it from social media. She said it would take time to complete the investigation and identify the accused.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "She filed a complaint with the cyber-crime police on 16 September 2026; the investigating RPS officer said police were trying to establish who created and circulated the video and to have it removed, and that identifying the accused would take time.", "causal_attribution": "Police statement as quoted by the report." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "an AI-manipulated objectionable reel of the influencer went viral with abusive comments; she reports severe mental distress and being unable to leave her house", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/rajasthan/news/rajasthan-influencer-ai-deepfake-video-controversy-cyber-safety-139083898.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (HTTP 200; published 2026-09-20 06:00 IST; Dainik Bhaskar English, Rajasthan local news, 'Sunday Big Story'). Based on the victim's public statement and the investigating officer; the victim is not named.", "independence_group": "dainik-bhaskar-2026-09-20" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The tool used, the platform on which the fake circulated and who made it are not established.", "The exact date the manipulated reel began circulating is given only as 'last week' relative to 20 September; the record uses the complaint date.", "The victim's town and the police unit handling the complaint are not stated.", "No arrest, takedown outcome or later coverage was found by 21 September 2026." ], "geography": { "basis": "The original video was recorded at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar (Uttarakhand); the victim is a Rajasthan influencer and the complaint is with the cyber-crime police and is investigated by a Rajasthan Police Service officer (Dainik Bhaskar English, Rajasthan edition). No court proceeding.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an AI image-based abuse case with a reported harm (severe distress, withdrawal from public life) stated publicly by the victim and a registered cyber-crime complaint confirmed by the investigating officer. One source read in full; claims recorded as reported. The victim is anonymous in the source and here.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-21" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The report states that the original video 'was manipulated using AI to create and circulate an objectionable video showing the same movements' and describes the case as a deepfake; the investigating officer is quoted on the investigation, not on the tool. No forensic finding is reported and the tool is not identified.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Rajasthan: a social-media influencer's video of a Ganga dip at Haridwar was manipulated with AI into an objectionable reel that went viral; she says she is mentally disturbed and cannot leave her house, and filed a cyber-crime complaint on 16 September 2026", "summary": "A Rajasthan social-media influencer visited Haridwar with her family in June 2026 and on 6 June uploaded to Instagram a short video, recorded by relatives, of herself taking a dip in the Ganga at Har Ki Pauri wearing a salwar suit. About two months later she found that the video had been manipulated with AI into an objectionable version showing the same movements with her face and body portrayed 'in a shameful manner'; the fake reel went viral in the week before 20 September and drew objectionable comments and re-sharing. In a public appeal she asked whoever uploaded it to remove it, saying it was a matter of her dignity, that she was mentally very disturbed and had reached a point where she could not step out of her house. She filed a complaint with the cyber-crime police on 16 September 2026; the investigating Rajasthan Police Service officer said they were trying to identify who created and circulated the video and to have it removed, and that identifying the accused would take time. Dainik Bhaskar's English edition reported the case on 20 September in a 'Sunday Big Story' that does not name her.", "incidentDate": "2026-09-16", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-20", "aiSystem": "AI video manipulation (deepfake) tool, not identified", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "The influencer says the AI-manipulated reel, its viral spread and the comments left her mentally very disturbed and unable to leave her house, and that it damaged her dignity (her statement as reported by Dainik Bhaskar English); the objectionable depiction itself is the abuse.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One depicted person, the influencer who filed the complaint (Dainik Bhaskar English). Exact 1.", "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/rajasthan/news/rajasthan-influencer-ai-deepfake-video-controversy-cyber-safety-139083898.html", "primarySourceLabel": "Dainik Bhaskar English (Rajasthan), 20 September 2026, Sunday Big Story: Truth behind Rajasthan influencer's viral objectionable reel: AI-generated deepfake video", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-21T04:11:24.565395+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-video", "harassment", "influencer", "india", "rajasthan", "haridwar", "depicted", "cyber-crime-complaint" ] }, { "id": "2026-vero-beach-ruma-ai-altered-sexual-images-arrest", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "\"Three counts of creation of an altered sexual depiction of an identifiable person, in violation of Florida Statute 836.13(2)\"; \"The current charges stem from incidents occurring between June and August 2026 and relate to one female victim\"; \"on a $1 million bond\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "\"Peter Solomon Ruma was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with three counts of creating an altered sexual depiction of an identifiable person and three counts of promoting an altered sexual depiction of an identifiable person, as well as sexual cyber harassment and stalking, according to Vero Beach Police\"; \"he confirmed she is an adult\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "\"Police Chief David Currey said Thursday that the current eight charges against 37-year-old Peter Solomon Ruma involve one adult female victim\"; \"Ruma is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $1 million bond\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "\"Peter Solomon Ruma was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 2, by Vero Beach police after investigators obtained a search warrant\"; \"He faces eight charges stemming from incidents between June and August 2026\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "On 2 September 2026 Vero Beach police arrested Peter Solomon Ruma, 37, on three counts of creating and three counts of promoting an altered sexual depiction of an identifiable person (Fla. Stat. 836.13), one count of sexual cyberharassment and one count of stalking, for incidents between June and August 2026 involving one adult woman; he was held on a US$1 million bond.", "causal_attribution": "Police department account (release and news conference) relayed by four outlets; the charge list is the police's, and the custody record is reported from the jail website by TCPalm. Charges, not convictions." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "\"used AI to create sexually explicit altered images depicting victims without their consent and then distributed or promoted those images\"; \"Photographs obtained from social media and other online sources were used to create some of the altered images\"; \"detectives said they identified several additional females believed to have been victimized through similar conduct\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "\"Currey said investigators have identified several other women who may have been subjected to similar conduct, some of whom may not know their images were obtained, manipulated or shared\"; \"the investigation uncovered complaints and law enforcement contacts involving unwanted communications and similar behavior dating back several years\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "\"Police said they have identified other possible victims who have not been named publicly and may not know images of them exist\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "\"took photos from social media and other online sources to create some of the altered images\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "Police say the accused used artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit altered images of women from photographs taken from social media and other online sources and distributed or promoted them; detectives identified several additional women believed to have been victimised in the same way, some possibly unaware, and believe the conduct may span several years.", "causal_attribution": "Police attribution of AI use; the tools are not named and the case has not been tried." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "\"The investigation began after a woman who knew Ruma contacted police detectives about an ongoing issue with him, according to court documents\"; \"she began to receive random text messages from numbers she\"; \"The photos of the woman in the texts are of her actual face being cropped from public photos on the internet, including her business profile, according to court documents. Her face was placed on random bodies of nude women\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "According to Indian River County court documents reported by TCPalm, the investigation began when a woman who knew the accused reported an ongoing problem: from 2018 she received sexual text messages from unknown numbers referring to nude photographs online, and the photographs were her real face cropped from public photographs, including her business profile, placed on the nude bodies of other women.", "causal_attribution": "Single outlet's reading of the arrest-related court documents; the victim's account as recorded by police." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "\"He was ordered to stay away from the woman, according to Indian River County court documents\"; \"May not access the internet\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "\"Ruma is employed as a Lyft driver and Uber Eats driver, police said\".", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Bail conditions reported from court documents include staying away from the woman, no internet access, no leaving Florida and surrendering his passport; police said the accused worked as a Lyft and Uber Eats driver but alleged no offending while driving.", "causal_attribution": "Court documents via TCPalm; police statement via CBS12." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a woman was depicted in AI-altered sexual images made from her public photographs and distributed; several more women identified as likely victims", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.wflx.com/2026/09/03/vero-beach-man-arrested-using-ai-create-share-fake-sexual-images-women/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (WFLX, Aja Dorsainvil, 3 Sep 2026; converted from an on-air report). Relays the Vero Beach Police Department's release: charges, statute counts, the June-August 2026 window, one victim, additional victims, bond.", "independence_group": "vbpd" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://cbs12.com/news/crime/vero-beach-police-more-victims-more-charges-expected-in-ai-deepfake-generated-sexual-images-of-women-case-peter-solomon-ruma-deepfake-cyberstalking", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (CBS12/WPEC, 3 Sep 2026). Reports Police Chief David Currey's news conference: one adult victim, two phones seized, other women identified, complaints dating back years, employment as a rideshare driver. Same police account as s1.", "independence_group": "vbpd" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/indian-river-county/2026/09/03/vero-beach-man-accused-of-using-ai-to-create-altered-sexual-images/91590462007/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers, Laurie K. Blandford, 3 Sep 2026). Combines the police release and news conference with Indian River County court documents (the victim's account, bail conditions) and the jail website; the court-document material is the only chain independent of the police statements.", "independence_group": "tcpalm-court-documents" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.sebastiandaily.com/crime/vero-beach-man-held-on-1-million-bond-in-explicit-ai-image-case-95358/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Sebastian Daily, Tina Hodges, 3 Sep 2026). Police release plus court records on prior criminal history.", "independence_group": "vbpd" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://cbs12.com/news/local/vero-beach-man-arrested-in-ai-generated-sexual-image-investigation", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 via the MSN content API copy (CBS12/WPEC, 2 Sep 2026, the first report). Police release.", "independence_group": "vbpd" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "privacy", "relationships", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The number of additional women identified by police is not stated ('several').", "The AI tools or services used are not named.", "Whether the altered images were posted publicly, sent to the victim or sent to others is not specified beyond 'distributed or promoted'.", "No plea, trial date or further charges are reported as of 2026-09-19." ], "geography": { "basis": "Vero Beach, Indian River County, Florida per the police department and the county court documents reported by TCPalm; the victim reported to Vero Beach police and the charges are filed in Indian River County; her residence is not stated; charges filed in Indian River County.", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case: an identified but anonymous adult woman was depicted in AI-altered sexual images made from her public photographs and distributed, with several more women identified by police; a criminal arrest with statute counts. Five reports read (four relaying the police department, one adding court documents). Victim unnamed; the accused named as in court reporting; claims stay 'reported' pending court outcomes.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Police say the accused used artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit altered images from real photographs and charged him under Florida's altered-sexual-depiction statute; no conviction yet and the tools are not named. The AI artifacts depicted the affected women; the unwanted messages described in court documents came from a person.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Vero Beach, Florida: a man was arrested on eight counts for creating and distributing AI-altered sexual images of a woman without her consent; police identified several more women as likely victims", "summary": "On 2 September 2026 Vero Beach police arrested Peter Solomon Ruma, 37, after an investigation into the creation and distribution of altered sexual images of women without their consent. Police say he used artificial intelligence to make sexually explicit altered images of victims from photographs taken from social media and other online sources and then distributed or promoted them. The eight charges (three counts of creating and three of promoting an altered sexual depiction of an identifiable person under Florida Statute 836.13, one count of sexual cyberharassment and one of stalking) relate to one adult woman and to incidents between June and August 2026. Detectives said they had identified several other women believed to have been victimised in the same way, some of whom may not know that images of them exist, and that the conduct may go back several years. According to court documents reported by TCPalm, the woman who came forward knew Ruma and had received sexual text messages since 2018; her face had been cropped from public photographs, including a business profile, and placed on nude bodies. Ruma was held on a US$1 million bond with conditions including no internet access; the investigation continues and further charges are expected.", "incidentDate": "2026-06-01", "incidentEndDate": "2026-08-31", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-02", "aiSystem": "AI image-alteration tools (not named by police); described as artificial intelligence used to create sexually explicit altered images from real photographs", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "unverified", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "An adult woman was depicted in AI-altered sexually explicit images made from her public photographs, which police say were distributed or promoted, alongside years of unwanted sexual messages; police identified several further women as likely depicted in the same way. The accused was arrested on eight counts and held on a US$1 million bond.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The charged counts relate to one adult woman (WFLX, CBS12, TCPalm). Police say they identified 'several' other women believed to have been victimised through similar conduct, without a number. One counted plus unquantified others: partial.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.wflx.com/2026/09/03/vero-beach-man-arrested-using-ai-create-share-fake-sexual-images-women/", "primarySourceLabel": "WFLX, 3 Sep 2026: Vero Beach man arrested for using AI to create, share fake sexual images of women (Vero Beach Police Department release)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-20T03:19:42.878848+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-altered-imagery", "ncii", "fla-stat-836-13", "cyberharassment", "stalking", "united-states", "florida", "criminal-charges", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-solo-semarang-ex-boyfriend-ai-deepfake-porn", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Pelaku ini mengedit wajahnya dari korban yang kemudian itu dipasangkan dengan badan seseorang dengan menggunakan AI yang wajahnya asli korban' (the perpetrator edited the victim's face and attached it to someone's body using AI, the face being the victim's real face); 'Konten hasil rekayasa kemudian diunggah pelaku melalui platform X. Polisi memastikan materi itu tidak diperjualbelikan' (the fabricated content was then uploaded by the perpetrator on X; police confirmed it was not sold).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Wajah korban ditempelkan pada tubuh perempuan lain dalam kondisi tanpa busana sehingga seolah-olah korban tampil dalam konten pornografi' (the victim's face was attached to another woman's unclothed body so that the victim appeared in pornographic content).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'Yang diedit itu wajah korban. Kemudian dipasang pada tubuh orang lain sehingga seolah-olah itu korban, fotonya telanjang bulat, ditemukan di Instagram dan Telegram' (what was edited was the victim's face, then placed on someone else's body so it looked like the victim, fully naked, found on Instagram and Telegram); 'terdapat pula video berbau pornografi dengan wajah korban yang diduga merupakan hasil editan AI' (there was also a pornographic video with the victim's face believed to be an AI edit).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "The complainant's face was composited with AI onto another woman's naked body in images and a pornographic video; the suspect uploaded the content to his X account and did not sell it, and the complainant's lawyer said the material was found on Instagram and Telegram.", "causal_attribution": "Police statement of 6 August 2026 (based on the investigation and the suspect's admission) and the complainant's lawyer (based on the material found); the two accounts differ on where the material was found. Recorded as reported (not corroborated) because the pornographic video (lawyer chain only) and the X upload / no-sale detail (police chain only) rest on single chains; the 28 January complaint and the 4 August detention are carried by both chains." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Korban mengetahui hal tersebut pada 1 Januari 2026. Pihak korban pun telah melapor ke Polda Jateng dengan nomor aduan STPA/182/I/2026/Ditressiber' (the victim learned of it on 1 January 2026; the victim's side reported to the Central Java police under complaint number STPA/182/I/2026/Ditressiber).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Perkara ini bermula ketika seorang perempuan mendatangi Polda Jawa Tengah pada 28 Januari 2026' (the case began when a woman came to the Central Java regional police on 28 January 2026); 'Polda Jawa Tengah menerbitkan laporan polisi pada 31 Juli 2026' (the regional police issued the police report on 31 July 2026); 'ditangkap di tempat kosnya di kawasan Gunungpati, Semarang. Penyidik Polda Jawa Tengah kemudian menahannya di Rutan Polda Jawa Tengah sejak Selasa (4/8/2026)' (arrested at his boarding house in the Gunungpati area of Semarang; investigators then detained him at the regional police detention centre from Tuesday 4 August 2026).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'dijerat dengan Pasal 51 juncto Pasal 35 Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (ITE) serta Pasal 407 Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2026' (charged under Article 51 in conjunction with Article 35 of Law 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions and Article 407 of Law No. 1 of 2026); 'ancaman hukuman maksimal adalah 12 tahun penjara dan denda paling banyak Rp12 miliar' (the maximum penalty is 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp12 billion).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'korban telah melaporkan kasus tersebut ke Polda Jawa Tengah sejak 28 Januari 2026' (the victim reported the case to the Central Java regional police on 28 January 2026); 'penyidik akhirnya menetapkan tersangka dan melakukan penahanan terhadap pelaku pada 4 Agustus 2026' (investigators finally named the suspect and detained him on 4 August 2026).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" } ], "assertion": "The complainant learned of the material on 1 January 2026; she and her family reported to the Central Java regional police cyber directorate on 28 January 2026; police issued a formal report on 31 July, arrested the suspect at a boarding house in Gunungpati, Semarang, and detained him on 4 August 2026; he is charged under Articles 51 and 35 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and an article printed as Article 407 of 'Law No. 1 of 2026', with a maximum of 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp12 billion.", "causal_attribution": "Dates from the police statement and the complainant's lawyer agree on the 28 January complaint and 4 August detention; the discovery date comes from the lawyer alone. Recorded as reported (not corroborated) because the 1 January discovery date (lawyer only), the 31 July formal report (police only) and the statute text rest on single chains; the 28 January complaint and the 4 August detention are carried by both chains." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'pelaku nekat membuat konten deepfake AI porno diduga karena sakit hati setelah hubungan asmara antara dirinya dan korban berakhir secara putus-nyambung' (the perpetrator made the pornographic AI deepfake content allegedly out of hurt after his on-and-off romantic relationship with the victim ended).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'sempat memergoki ... sedang melakukan panggilan telepon video dengan perempuan lain. Hal itu memicu kemarahan' (she had caught him on a video call with another woman, which triggered her anger).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "Police said the suspect admitted acting out of resentment after an on-and-off relationship with the complainant ended; her lawyer said she ended the relationship after finding him on a video call with another woman.", "causal_attribution": "Motive as stated by the police spokesman from the suspect's admission and by the complainant's lawyer." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Iya sempat psikologisnya terkena, susah tidur, murung, malu. Dia tahu gambar-gambar itu kan dari teman-teman ceweknya. Malu dan drop' (yes, she was affected psychologically, could not sleep, was withdrawn, ashamed; she learned of the images from her female friends; ashamed and down); 'sempat stres, sempat murung dan sudah tidak ada harapan lagi waktu itu' (she was stressed, withdrawn and had no hope at that time); 'Kuasa hukum korban meminta Dinas Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak memberikan pendampingan psikologis secara intensif' (the victim's lawyer asked the women's empowerment and child protection office to provide intensive psychological support).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'Stresnya setengah mati, enggak bisa tidur. Nangis dia, murung sekali' (she was extremely stressed, could not sleep, cried, was very withdrawn).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "According to her lawyer, the complainant had trouble sleeping, was withdrawn and ashamed, cried, at one point had no hope, and has since recovered some spirit; he asked the local women's and children's protection office for intensive psychological support.", "causal_attribution": "Interested-party account: the complainant's lawyer in two interviews on 7 August 2026; no clinical source." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'penelusuran tim kuasa hukum menemukan total tujuh orang yang diduga menjadi korban manipulasi konten pornografi berbasis AI oleh tersangka. Namun, enam korban lainnya belum membuat laporan resmi' (the legal team's tracing found seven people in total allegedly victims of AI pornographic manipulation by the suspect, but the other six had not filed formal reports); 'Keluarga pelaku itu minta supaya berdamai' (the perpetrator's family asked for a settlement).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'Sementara ini korban yang terkonfirmasi baru satu orang, yaitu pelapor' (for now only one victim is confirmed, the complainant).", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The lawyer said his team had found seven women in total allegedly targeted by the suspect, six of whom had not filed reports, and that the suspect's parents apologised and asked for an out-of-court settlement so he could continue his studies; police said only one complainant was confirmed.", "causal_attribution": "The seven-woman figure and the settlement approach are the lawyer's account; police confirmed one complainant." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "her face was composited with AI onto pornographic images and a video that were posted on X and found on Instagram and Telegram", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "sleeplessness, withdrawal, shame and loss of hope reported by her lawyer during the nearly seven-month investigation", "claim_id": "c4", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://regional.kompas.com/read/2026/08/07/133400678/motif-mahasiswa-semarang-bikin-deepfake-ai-wajah-mantan-terancam-12-tahun", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Kompas.com regional, published 2026-08-07 13:34 +07:00). Central Java police spokesman's written statement received on 6 August 2026. Model reading of the original; English glosses are the reviewer's.", "independence_group": "polda-jateng-statement-2026-08-06" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/mahasiswa-di-semarang-edit-foto-mantan-pacar-jadi-konten-porno-berakhir-dibui-27vvfyraEgL", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (kumparan, published 2026-08-06 09:14 UTC). Same police spokesman at the 6 August briefing; adds the statutes and the one-complainant confirmation.", "independence_group": "polda-jateng-statement-2026-08-06" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8593323/mahasiswi-di-solo-jadi-objek-deepfake-ai-porno-korban-lapor-polisi", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (detikcom citing detikJateng, published 2026-07-28 10:29 +07:00; the lawyer's remarks are dated Monday 27 July 2026). Complainant's lawyer; police spokesman said he was checking. Predates the arrest.", "independence_group": "complainant-lawyer" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://indonesiaonline.co.id/deepfake-porno-di-solo-trauma-korban-dan-lambannya-proses-hukum/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (indonesiaonline.co.id, published 2026-08-08 10:32 +07:00). Feature built on a phone interview with the complainant's lawyer on 7 August 2026.", "independence_group": "complainant-lawyer" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://rejogja.republika.co.id/berita/tjglkl282/dendam-diputusin-mahasiswa-semarang-edit-wajah-mantan-pacar-pakai-ai-jadi-konten-porno", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Republika Jogja, published 2026-08-08 23:24 +07:00). Interview with the complainant's lawyer on 7 August 2026 on the relationship history and her reaction.", "independence_group": "complainant-lawyer" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://indoraya.news/keluarga-korban-desak-hukuman-maksimal-untuk-pelaku-deepfake-porno-mahasiswi-uns", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Indoraya News, published 2026-08-06 22:28 +07:00). Complainant's lawyer at the regional police lobby on 6 August 2026; restates the statutes.", "independence_group": "complainant-lawyer" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "relationships", "privacy", "justice", "education" ], "unknowns": [ "Whether the six other women named by the lawyer exist as complainants; police had confirmed one complainant as of 6 August 2026.", "The statute printed by kumparan and Indoraya as 'Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2026' is recorded as printed; it may be a misprint for the 2023 Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023), whose Article 407 concerns pornography. Not verified.", "The identity of the woman whose body appears in the composites is unknown to police.", "No indictment, court filing or trial date had been reported by 2026-09-19.", "The AI tool used is not identified.", "When the content was created and uploaded is not reported; 1 January 2026 is the date the complainant learned of it from friends." ], "geography": { "basis": "The complainant studies in Solo and the suspect was arrested in Semarang, both in Central Java, Indonesia; the case is held by the Central Java regional police. No court proceeding has begun, so court_countries is empty.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "ID" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "ID" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a criminal investigation: AI-composited pornographic images and video of a named-by-initial student, posted online by an ex-partner who was detained after seven months. Six Indonesian items read from two account chains (police statement and the complainant's lawyer). The complainant and suspect appear only by initials in the sources and are not identified here; the lawyer is not named; one cited URL identifies the complainant's university.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Central Java police spokesman said the suspect edited the complainant's face onto another person's body using AI ('menggunakan AI'); her lawyer described the material as AI manipulation. No forensic report was inspected and the tool is not named.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Solo and Semarang, Indonesia: a university student's face was composited with AI onto pornographic images and a video by her ex-boyfriend and posted online; the suspect was detained after a nearly seven-month investigation", "summary": "A female student at a state university in Solo (Surakarta), Central Java, learned on 1 January 2026 from friends that her face had been composited onto pornographic images and a video, which her lawyer said were found on Instagram and Telegram. Her family reported the case to the Central Java regional police cyber directorate on 28 January 2026. Police issued a formal police report on 31 July, arrested her ex-boyfriend, a university student in Semarang, at his boarding house in Gunungpati on 4 August 2026, and detained him. The police spokesman said the suspect used AI to place the complainant's face on another woman's naked body so that she appeared in pornographic content, uploaded it to his X account, did not sell it, and acted out of resentment after an on-and-off relationship ended. He faces charges under Articles 51 and 35 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and an article printed by two outlets as 'Law No. 1 of 2026', with a maximum of 12 years' imprisonment. Her lawyer said she could not sleep, withdrew, felt shame and at one point lost hope, that his team had found seven women in total allegedly targeted of whom six had not reported, and that the suspect's parents asked for an out-of-court settlement; police said only one complainant was confirmed.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-28", "aiSystem": "AI face-composite tool used to place the complainant's face on pornographic images and a video (tool not identified); content posted on X and found on Instagram and Telegram", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "AI-composited pornographic images and a video of the complainant were posted online; her lawyer reported sleeplessness, withdrawal, shame and loss of hope during the seven months before a suspect was named.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "One complainant confirmed by police ('korban yang terkonfirmasi baru satu orang, yaitu pelapor'). Her lawyer says his team found seven women in total, six of whom have not reported; that figure is an interested party's count and is not added.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "ID", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://regional.kompas.com/read/2026/08/07/133400678/motif-mahasiswa-semarang-bikin-deepfake-ai-wajah-mantan-terancam-12-tahun", "primarySourceLabel": "Kompas.com, 7 August 2026: Motif Mahasiswa Semarang Bikin Deepfake AI Wajah Mantan, Terancam 12 Tahun Penjara (Central Java police statement)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-20T03:19:38.26217+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ncii", "ex-partner", "university", "indonesia", "central-java", "criminal-investigation", "depicted-or-impersonated", "image-based-abuse" ] }, { "id": "2025-muar-johor-school-ai-deepfake-three-pupils-expelled", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Sebuah sekolah Cina di Muar, Johor, mengambil tindakan buang sekolah terhadap tiga pelajar lelaki kerana menggunakan kecerdasan buatan (AI) untuk menghasilkan imej lucah deepfake melibatkan rakan sekelas perempuan mereka' (a Chinese school in Muar, Johor, expelled three male pupils for using AI to produce indecent deepfake images involving their female classmates); 'China Press melaporkan bahawa sebahagian daripada imej yang diubahsuai itu tersebar di internet, melibatkan sekurang-kurangnya dua pelajar perempuan yang telah membuat laporan polis' (China Press reported that some of the altered images spread on the internet, involving at least two female pupils who lodged police reports).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'3名涉案学生分别就读初二、初三及高一。据了解，他们利用人工智能软体，将多名女生的头像合成至不雅照片中，部分影像更已在网路上流传' (the three pupils are in junior two, junior three and senior one; they used AI software to composite several girls' faces into indecent photos, some of which had already circulated online); '至少有2名女学生受害，受害者已向警方报案' (at least two girls were affected and the victims have reported to police).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'expelled three male students for using artificial intelligence to make explicit AI deepfake images of their female classmates'; 'affecting at least two female students who filed police reports'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Three male pupils in Forms 2, 3 and 4 at a Chinese secondary school in Muar used AI software to composite several female classmates' faces onto indecent images; some of the images spread on the internet; at least two girls lodged police reports.", "causal_attribution": "School statement and principal's account as first reported by China Press and relayed by FMT and Seehua; single reporting chain." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'校方是本周一接获校内流传不雅合成照片的消息，鉴于事态严重，立即展开调查，并在确认涉案学生与受害女生身分后，安排双方家长到校会面' (the school received word on Monday this week that composited indecent photos were circulating in the school, began an investigation immediately given the seriousness, and after confirming the identities of the pupils involved and the affected girls arranged for both sets of parents to meet at the school); '男生家长也接受校方开除学籍的决定' (the boys' parents accepted the school's decision to expel them).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'telah membuang pelajar Tingkatan 2, 3 dan 4 tersebut selaras peraturan sekolah' (expelled the Form 2, 3 and 4 pupils in line with school rules); 'Ibu bapa ketiga-tiga pelajar terbabit menerima keputusan sekolah untuk membuang mereka' (the parents of all three pupils accepted the school's decision to expel them).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The school was told of the images on Monday 1 December 2025, investigated immediately, met the parents of all pupils involved, expelled the three boys under its rules citing zero tolerance, urged the victims to report to police and parents to delete such images; the boys' parents accepted the decision.", "causal_attribution": "School statement and principal's account; single chain." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'麻坡警区主任拉益慕克里兹受询时证实，警方已接获相关报案，并已传召涉案男学生协助调查，案件仍在进一步调查中' (the Muar district police chief confirmed when asked that police had received the reports, had summoned the boys involved to assist the investigation, and the case was still under investigation).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Ketua Polis Muar ... mengesahkan laporan telah diterima dan siasatan sedang dijalankan' (the Muar police chief confirmed reports had been received and an investigation was under way).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The Muar district police chief confirmed that reports had been received, that the boys had been summoned to assist the investigation, and that an investigation was under way.", "causal_attribution": "Police chief's confirmation as quoted in the same reports." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "female classmates' faces were composited with AI onto indecent images, some of which spread online; at least two girls lodged police reports", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/12/04/3-pelajar-dibuang-sekolah-buat-imej-lucah-rakan-sekelas-guna-ai", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 (FMT Malay edition, published 2025-12-04 11:03 UTC). Credits China Press; carries the school statement and the Muar police chief's confirmation. Model reading of the original; English glosses are the reviewer's.", "independence_group": "china-press-school-and-police-2025-12-03" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/12/04/3-muar-students-booted-for-making-explicit-ai-deepfakes-of-classmates", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (FMT, published 2025-12-04 10:49 UTC). English version of the same China Press-derived report.", "independence_group": "china-press-school-and-police-2025-12-03" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://news.seehua.com/post/1412690", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "zh", "translation_note": "Read in Chinese on 2026-09-19 through a Wayback Machine capture (the live page returns HTTP 403); Seehua, published 2025-12-03 22:37 +08:00, Muar dateline 3 December. Same school statement and police confirmation with more detail on the school's steps; no attribution to another outlet is shown, so independence from China Press is not established.", "independence_group": "china-press-school-and-police-2025-12-03" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "How many girls were affected beyond the two who lodged police reports; Seehua says several.", "The ages of the three boys beyond their forms (Form 2 to Form 4, roughly 14 to 16).", "When the images were made and how widely they circulated; the school learned of them on 1 December 2025.", "The AI software used.", "Any charge or outcome of the police investigation.", "The China Press original was not read (HTTP 403), so the reporting chain is established from FMT's attribution only." ], "geography": { "basis": "The school and the police district are in Muar, Johor, Malaysia; the pupils are of that school. No court proceeding is reported.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "MY" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "MY" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case involving minors with an institutional response and a police investigation, on the school's own statement and the district police chief's confirmation as relayed by three outlets in Malay, English and Chinese (one reporting chain, recorded as reported). The pupils are minors and unnamed; the school is described by type and district; the principal and police chief are not named in the record.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The school and the China Press report describe the images as AI deepfakes made with AI software ('menggunakan kecerdasan buatan (AI)', '利用人工智能软体'); the police confirmation does not describe the tool. No forensic finding and no tool name.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Muar, Johor: three boys were expelled from a Chinese secondary school for using AI to make indecent deepfake images of female classmates; some images spread online and at least two girls lodged police reports", "summary": "In early December 2025 a Chinese secondary school in Muar, Johor, expelled three male pupils in Forms 2, 3 and 4 after finding they had used AI software to composite several female classmates' faces onto indecent images, some of which had spread online. The school said it was told of the images on Monday 1 December, investigated immediately, met the parents of all pupils involved, expelled the three under its rules with a stated zero-tolerance policy, and urged victims to lodge police reports and parents to delete any such images. The boys' parents accepted the decision. At least two girls lodged police reports; the Muar district police chief confirmed reports had been received, that the boys had been summoned to assist the investigation, and that an investigation was under way. No charge or later outcome has been reported.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-12-03", "aiSystem": "AI image software used by pupils to composite classmates' faces onto indecent images (software not identified)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "AI-composited indecent images of female classmates were made and some circulated online; at least two girls lodged police reports and the school expelled the three boys.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "At least two female pupils lodged police reports ('sekurang-kurangnya dua pelajar perempuan yang telah membuat laporan polis'; '至少有2名女学生受害'); Seehua says several girls' faces were composited ('多名女生'), which is not quantified. The three expelled boys are not counted as harmed.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "MY", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/12/04/3-muar-students-booted-for-making-explicit-ai-deepfakes-of-classmates", "primarySourceLabel": "Free Malaysia Today, 4 December 2025: 3 Muar students booted for making explicit AI deepfakes of classmates (citing China Press)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-20T03:19:35.893689+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ncii", "minors", "school", "malaysia", "johor", "expulsion", "depicted-or-impersonated", "image-based-abuse" ] }, { "id": "2025-kulai-johor-school-ai-nude-images-sold-rm2", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'kejadian itu terbongkar apabila seorang wanita berusia 18 tahun membuat laporan polis pada 3 April lalu, selepas mendapati gambar lucah yang disunting menggunakan wajahnya tular di media sosial' (the case came to light when an 18-year-old woman lodged a police report on 3 April after finding nude images edited with her face circulating on social media); 'suspek yang masih bersekolah itu menggunakan aplikasi teknologi kecerdasan buatan (AI) untuk menyunting gambar mangsa yang diperoleh daripada akaun media sosial' (the suspect, still a schoolboy, used an AI application to edit victims' photos obtained from social media accounts); 'gambar yang disunting kemudian dijual kepada orang ramai dengan harga murah iaitu RM2' (the edited images were then sold to the public at the low price of RM2).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'the cops had received eight reports against the teenager, who was arrested at 5pm on Tuesday (April 8) in Kulai'; 'seized a phone believed to have been used to edit and upload lewd photos of his victims on social media, which are then sold at RM2 each'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'A 19-year-old victim lodged a police report after finding an explicit image with her likeness on social media' (gives the complainant's age as 19; the police statement says 18).", "relation": "contradicts", "source_id": "s12" } ], "assertion": "An 18-year-old woman lodged a police report on 3 April 2025 after finding nude images edited with her face circulating on social media and offered for sale; police arrested a 16-year-old schoolboy in Kulai at about 5 pm on 8 April, seized a phone believed used to edit and upload the images, and said he used an AI application to edit photos obtained from victims' social media accounts and sold the edited images at RM2 each.", "causal_attribution": "Johor police chief's written statement of 9 April 2025, relayed by Sinar Harian and The Star; single official chain." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'gambar yang disunting kemudian dijual kepada orang ramai dengan harga murah iaitu RM2' (the edited images were sold to the public at RM2); 'polis menerima lapan laporan dari mangsa lain melibatkan isu kes sama' (police received eight reports from other victims on the same matter).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'一名女学生昨日在网络发长文控诉，除了发现自己的照片遭同班男同学合成裸照，并发现对方在通讯软件Telegram开设一个聊天室，并在内散播合成照片予其他人观赏，该聊天室内有超过200人' (a female pupil posted a long complaint online yesterday: besides finding her photos composited into nude images by a male classmate, she found he had opened a Telegram chat room, spreading the composites for others to view, with more than 200 members).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'said it has expelled a student over his involvement in distributing deepfake pornographic images of students and alumni'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'Kami dimaklumkan terdapat beberapa kumpulan di media sosial yang menyebarkan gambar-gambar telah dimanipulasi secara digital' (we were informed that several social media groups were spreading digitally manipulated images).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "AI-generated nude composites of current and former pupils of the school were produced from their social media photos, shared in online groups including a Telegram chat room of more than 200 members, and sold online.", "causal_attribution": "Supported by four separate accounts: the police statement, the pupil's own post, the school board's statement and the deputy minister's post. Recorded as reported (not corroborated) because the Telegram-group size and the social-media origin of the photos each rest on a single chain." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'该女生向校方反映有关情况，但该男生仅被记了两个小过或者一个大过' (the girl reported the situation to the school, but the boy was only given two minor demerits or one major demerit); '老师接获女校友投诉相关事件后，竟指受害者们将自己的照片发在社交媒体上，就需要自行承担后果的回应，令她们觉得受到二次伤害' (after receiving alumni complaints, a teacher responded that the victims had posted their own photos on social media and had to bear the consequences themselves, which made them feel they had suffered a second injury).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'The school acknowledged its delay in handling the incident and said it would implement stricter measures moving forward'; 'An internal probe found online allegations against a disciplinary teacher to be baseless and distorted, the board said'.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'Mangsa memaklumkan kes seperti ini bukan pertama kali berlaku. Sebaliknya ada insiden serupa telah dilaporkan kepada pihak sekolah sejak tahun lepas, namun tiada tindakan berkesan diambil' (victims informed [the deputy minister] that such a case was not the first; similar incidents had been reported to the school since the previous year without effective action).", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s11" } ], "assertion": "A female pupil's post of 8 April 2025 said the school had responded to her complaint with only minor demerits for the classmate, and that a teacher told alumni complainants they had to bear the consequences of posting their own photos online, which the complainants experienced as a second injury.", "causal_attribution": "The pupil's own post as relayed by Oriental Daily; the school board acknowledged delay but said allegations against a disciplinary teacher were distorted." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'30 to 40 of the student's schoolmates and his school's alumni were believed to have become victims'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'Sehingga kini, polis menerima lapan laporan dari mangsa lain melibatkan isu kes sama' (so far, police have received eight reports from other victims on the same matter).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'as of noon yesterday, 22 reports had been lodged by victims against the 16-year-old suspect'; 'so far, 38 individuals have been identified as victims, with the youngest reportedly only 12 or 13 years old'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'29 police reports had been lodged against the teen, as of noon Tuesday (April 15)'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'Sekurang-kurangnya 40 individu dipercayai menjadi mangsa' (at least 40 people are believed to be victims); 'mangsa terdiri daripada bekas pelajar dan pelajar semasa sekolah tersebut, termasuk remaja seawal usia 14 tahun' (the victims are former and current pupils of the school, including teenagers as young as 14); 'seramai tujuh orang mangsa telah dibantu oleh pegawai dari pejabat saya untuk membuat laporan polis' (seven victims have been helped by officers from my office to lodge police reports).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Setakat ini, mangsa-mangsa yang dikenal pasti adalah 38 orang dan ada antara mereka yang menghubungi kami berumur 13 tahun' (so far 38 victims have been identified and some of those who contacted us are 13).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s11" } ], "assertion": "Police reports lodged by victims against the suspect rose from eight at the arrest to 22 by noon on 12 April and 29 by noon on 15 April 2025; the deputy minister said on 9 April, when her office had helped seven victims lodge reports, that 30 to 40 people were believed affected, including pupils as young as 14, and on 12 April that 38 people had been identified, the youngest 12 or 13.", "causal_attribution": "Police counts from the Johor police chief; victim estimates from the deputy minister, who assisted victims. The counts differ by date and by counting method." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The board said that contrary to online claims, the student did not receive only light reprimands but was removed from the school entirely'; 'pledged full support for the victims and their families, including counselling services by school and external professionals'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'surat perletakan jawatan daripada pengetua ... telah diterima pada 12 April lalu' (the principal's resignation letter was received on 12 April); 'dalam mesyuarat bulanan pada 17 April, kami sebulat suara bersetuju untuk menghormati keputusan' (at the monthly meeting on 17 April we unanimously agreed to respect the decision); 'satu pasukan bebas terdiri daripada lima ahli ditubuhkan bagi menyemak aduan yang dikemukakan oleh bekas pelajar' (an independent five-member team was formed to review complaints submitted by former pupils).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" } ], "assertion": "The school board announced on 10 April 2025 that the pupil had been expelled, acknowledged delay in handling the case and promised counselling and legal aid for victims; the principal submitted his resignation on 12 April, which the board accepted at a 17 April meeting while forming a five-member team to review former pupils' complaints.", "causal_attribution": "School board statements of 10 and 18 April 2025 as reported by Malay Mail and FMT." }, { "id": "c6", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Also remanded alongside the teenager is a 19-year-old male, who has been remanded for six days starting Wednesday for the same purpose'; 'The remand application was made to facilitate investigations under Section 7 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'A 16-year-old student today pleaded guilty in the Kulai Magistrate's Court to possessing pornographic materials on his mobile phone'; 'the teen denied a second charge under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. This charge relates to allegedly using artificial intelligence to digitally alter photographs of a 17-year-old female classmate into explicit images'; 'Magistrate R. Salini granted bail at RM4,000 for each charge and set June 23 for the next hearing'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s9" }, { "locator": "'dia didakwa menghasilkan bahan penganiayaan seksual seorang mangsa perempuan berusia 17 tahun dengan cara menyunting gambar menjadi gambar lucah' (he is charged with producing sexual abuse material of a 17-year-old female victim by editing an image into a pornographic image); 'remaja berkenaan mengaku bersalah memiliki bahan lucah dalam telefon bimbitnya' (the teenager pleaded guilty to possessing pornographic material on his phone); 'menetapkan 23 Jun ini untuk sebutan semula kes' (fixed 23 June for mention).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s10" }, { "locator": "'If found guilty, the court may impose a warning, a good behaviour bond, a fine, community service, or placement in an approved school'.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s12" } ], "assertion": "The boy's remand was extended to 20 April 2025 and a 19-year-old male was remanded alongside him for investigation under Section 7 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998; on 23 April 2025 the boy pleaded guilty at the Kulai Magistrate's Court to possessing 14 pornographic images on his phone under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code and not guilty to producing sexual abuse material by editing a 17-year-old girl's image under Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with bail of RM4,000 per charge and mention fixed for 23 June 2025.", "causal_attribution": "Court reports of the closed-door hearing of 23 April 2025 and The Star's remand report of 16 April; the charge sheet itself was not inspected." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "AI-edited nude images of schoolmates and alumni, including minors, were circulated in a Telegram chat room and sold online at RM2 each", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "a victim described the school treating the matter as a minor infraction and a teacher blaming complainants, which she called a second injury", "claim_id": "c3", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/721913/berita/semasa/pelajar-sekolah-ditahan-sunting-jual-gambar-lucah-guna-aii", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 (Sinar Harian, published 2025-04-09 16:38 +08:00). Johor police chief's written statement of Wednesday 9 April 2025. Model reading of the original; English glosses in the locators are the reviewer's own.", "independence_group": "johor-police-statement-2025-04-09" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/09/johor-teenager-nabbed-for-allegedly-creating-selling-lewd-ai-pics-of-schoolmates", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (The Star, 9 April 2025). Same police statement; also carries the deputy minister's 9 April statement, which is cited here only through s3.", "independence_group": "johor-police-statement-2025-04-09" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://malaysiatribune.news/40-pelajar-mangsa-gambar-lucah-deepfake-suspek-remaja-ditahan/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 (Malaysia Tribune, published 2025-04-10 19:00 +08:00). Deputy Communications Minister's Facebook post and the Johor police chief's remand confirmation. Model reading of the original.", "independence_group": "deputy-minister-facebook-2025-04-09" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/society/2025/04/09/724881", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "zh", "translation_note": "Read in Chinese on 2026-09-19 through a Wayback Machine capture (the live page returns HTTP 403); Oriental Daily, published 2025-04-09 14:42 +08:00. Relays a female pupil's long social media post of 8 April, the principal's confirmation of the arrest and the deputy minister's post. Model reading of the original.", "independence_group": "pupil-viral-post-2025-04-08" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/10/kulai-school-says-expelled-student-in-deepfake-porn-scandal-admits-slow-action/172624", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Malay Mail, 10 April 2025). School board statement as reported by Malaysiakini.", "independence_group": "school-board-statement-2025-04-10" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/13/deepfake-scandal-widens", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (The Star, published 2025-04-12 16:00 UTC, print date 13 April). Deputy minister's press conference at the Kulai MP office on 12 April and the Johor police chief's count of reports and remand extension.", "independence_group": "deputy-minister-press-conference-2025-04-12" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/16/johor-teen-in-ai-doctored-lewd-pics-probe-remanded-another-five-days", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (The Star, 16 April 2025). Remand extension, the 19-year-old, the statutes and the 29-report count.", "independence_group": "remand-hearing-2025-04-16" }, { "id": "s8", "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/04/18/pelajar-jual-gambar-bogel-pengetua-sekolah-menengah-di-kulai-letak-jawatan", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 (FMT Malay edition, 18 April 2025). School board statement on the principal's resignation and the review team. Model reading of the original.", "independence_group": "school-board-statement-2025-04-18" }, { "id": "s9", "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/23/johor-teen-denies-ai-doctored-lewd-photo-charge-admits-to-porn-possession/174177", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Malay Mail, 23 April 2025). Court report of the closed-door charging at the Kulai Magistrate's Court.", "independence_group": "kulai-magistrate-court-2025-04-23" }, { "id": "s10", "url": "https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/724591/berita/semasa/remaja-mengaku-tidak-bersalah-miliki-sunting-gambar-lucah-guna-ai", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 (Sinar Harian, published 2025-04-23 14:17 +08:00). Court report of the same hearing. Model reading of the original.", "independence_group": "kulai-magistrate-court-2025-04-23" }, { "id": "s11", "url": "https://themerdekatimes.com/news/2025/04/38-termasuk-pelajar-jadi-mangsa-suntingan-gambar-lucah-babit-sekolah-menengah-persendirian-cina/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ms", "translation_note": "Read in Malay on 2026-09-19 through a Wayback Machine capture (the live page returns HTTP 403); The Merdeka Times, published 2025-04-16 15:17 +08:00, reporting the 12 April press conference. Model reading of the original.", "independence_group": "deputy-minister-press-conference-2025-04-12" }, { "id": "s12", "url": "https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/24/teen-admits-having-porn-on-phone", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (The Star, published 2025-04-23 16:00 UTC, print date 24 April). Court report; gives the complainant's age as 19, against 18 in the police statement.", "independence_group": "kulai-magistrate-court-2025-04-23" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "When the images were created and sold: the police statement dates only the first report (3 April 2025) and the arrest (8 April); the deputy minister said victims had reported similar incidents to the school the previous year. The composites and school complaints predate the 3 April police report (a pupil's post says demerits had already been given before 8 April; the school was told the previous year), so the series may have begun before April 2025.", "The outcome of the Section 5 Sexual Offences Against Children Act charge after the 23 June 2025 mention, and whether the 19-year-old was charged, were not found.", "The AI application used is not named and no forensic report has been published.", "The complainant's age is given as 18 by police and 19 by The Star's court report.", "Whether the 29 police reports correspond one to one with the 38 people the deputy minister said were identified is not established.", "The number of people in the Telegram chat room and the number of buyers are known only from the pupil's post." ], "geography": { "basis": "Arrest by Kulai district police in Kulai, Johor; victims are pupils and alumni of a school in Kulai; charges at the Kulai Magistrate's Court, Johor, Malaysia.", "court_countries": [ "MY" ], "event_countries": [ "MY" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "MY" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with consequential institutional and criminal responses: AI-edited nude images of dozens of schoolmates, including minors, sold online, followed by expulsion, criminal charges and the principal's resignation. Twelve items read across Malay, English and Chinese from five separate accounts (police, deputy minister, the pupil's post, the school board, court reports). The suspect is a minor and unnamed; victims are unnamed; the school is described by type and district only and the principal is not named.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Johor police chief said early investigation found the suspect used an AI application to edit photos obtained from victims' social media accounts; the deputy minister and the school board described the images as deepfakes; the charge sheet describes producing sexual abuse material by editing a 17-year-old's image. No forensic finding on the tool has been published and the application is not named.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Kulai, Johor: a 16-year-old pupil was arrested and charged after AI-edited nude images of schoolmates and alumni, including minors, were sold online at RM2 each; police logged 29 victim reports and the principal resigned", "summary": "In April 2025 Johor police arrested a 16-year-old pupil of a private Chinese independent secondary school in Kulai district after an 18-year-old woman reported on 3 April that nude images edited with her face were circulating on social media and being offered for sale. Police said the boy used an AI application to edit photos taken from victims' social media accounts and sold the images at RM2 each; a phone was seized and a 19-year-old was later remanded alongside him. Eight victim reports at the time of the arrest on 8 April grew to 22 by 12 April and 29 by 15 April. The Deputy Communications Minister, who is also the Kulai MP, said on 9 April that most victims were alumni but some were current pupils as young as 14, and on 12 April that 38 people had been identified, the youngest 12 or 13, and her office helped victims lodge reports. A female pupil's viral post said a Telegram chat room of more than 200 members shared the composites and that the school had initially treated the matter as a minor infraction; the school board expelled the boy, acknowledged its slow handling, offered counselling and legal aid, and the principal resigned on 12 April. On 23 April 2025 the boy pleaded guilty at the Kulai Magistrate's Court to possessing 14 pornographic images and not guilty to a charge under Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 of producing sexual abuse material by editing a 17-year-old classmate's image; no verdict on that charge has been found.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-04-09", "aiSystem": "AI image-editing application used to composite victims' faces onto nude bodies (application not identified); images sold through social media and a Telegram chat room", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "reputational_harm", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "AI-edited nude images of at least 29 schoolmates and alumni, including minors, were circulated and sold online; a victim's post said complainants had silently endured the abuse and felt a second injury from a teacher's response; the case led to expulsion, criminal charges and the principal's resignation.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 29, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Lower bound: 29 police reports lodged by victims against the suspect as of noon 15 April 2025 (Johor police chief, reported by The Star on 16 April); the deputy minister said 38 people had been identified as victims by 12 April and estimated 30 to 40 on 9 April. Reports are treated as one per victim because the police chief described them as reports from other victims; the identified-victim figure is not used because it was not documented person by person. Chat-room members and buyers are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "MY", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/09/johor-teenager-nabbed-for-allegedly-creating-selling-lewd-ai-pics-of-schoolmates", "primarySourceLabel": "The Star, 9 April 2025: Johor teenager nabbed for allegedly creating, selling lewd AI pics of schoolmates (Johor police chief's statement)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-20T03:19:33.537691+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ncii", "minors", "school", "malaysia", "johor", "criminal-charges", "depicted-or-impersonated", "image-based-abuse", "telegram" ] }, { "id": "2026-strahler-ohio-ai-deepfake-cyberstalking-take-it-down-act", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'sentenced last week in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison'; 'pleaded guilty in April to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries'; 'the first in the Nation under the Take It Down Act'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'sentenced Sept. 8 in U.S. District Court in Columbus to 15 years in prison'; 'first in the nation to be convicted under a 2025 federal law'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison handed down the 180-month sentence to 37-year-old James Strahler II on Tuesday'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "On 8 September 2026 James Strahler II was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus to 180 months (15 years) after pleading guilty in April 2026 to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries; the U.S. Attorney described it as the first conviction under the Take It Down Act.", "causal_attribution": "Court outcome reported by the prosecuting office and two independent local newsrooms." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'used to harass at least six women in central Ohio between December 2024 and June 2025'; 'nude images of the victims that were both real and AI-generated'; 'used AI to create pornographic videos depicting one of the women engaged in sexual acts with her father'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'harass at least six adult female victims from December 2024 to June 2025'; 'generated pornographic videos using AI that depicted an adult victim in sexual acts with her father and sent those videos to the victim's co-workers'; 'threatened victims' mothers, demanding nude photos'; 'voicemails that included threats of rape'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'sent harassing messages to at least six women'; 'distributed those videos to the victim's coworkers or family members'; 'threaten rape'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "Between December 2024 and June 2025 Strahler harassed at least six adult women in central Ohio with messages containing real and AI-generated nude images of them, threatened rape, referred to their addresses, threatened their mothers, and in one case sent AI-generated pornographic videos depicting a victim with her father to her co-workers.", "causal_attribution": "Prosecutors' account of the offending, reported by three local newsrooms; the defendant pleaded guilty." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'posted online AI-generated images of the faces of boys from his community that he would morph onto the bodies of other children or adults'; 'more than 700 images'; '2,400 images and videos on his cell phone were flagged'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'using the faces of minor boys from his community and morphing them onto the bodies of other children or adults'; 'more than 700 images'; '2,400 more flagged images and videos'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Strahler also posted AI-generated sexual images of minor boys from his community, morphing their faces onto other bodies; more than 700 images were posted to a child sexual abuse website and about 2,400 further explicit files were found on his phone.", "causal_attribution": "Prosecutors' account; part of the guilty plea to producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "at least six women harassed with real and AI-generated nude images and rape threats; AI videos of one sent to her co-workers; boys depicted in AI abuse imagery", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://highlandcountypress.com/headlines/columbus-man-sentenced-15-years-prison-cyberstalking-exes-creating-ai-generated-obscene", "kind": "official_statement_republished", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18. Verbatim republication (16 Sep 2026) of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio press release; the justice.gov original (usao-sdoh/pr/columbus-man-sentenced-15-years-prison-cyberstalking-exes-creating-ai-generated) returns only a 1.5 kB shell to this host.", "independence_group": "usao-sdoh" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/09/08/james-strahler-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-for-ai-generated-porn/91664055007/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 (Columbus Dispatch, Shahid Meighan, 8 Sep 2026; served from the eu.dispatch.com mirror). Court reporting drawing on the USAO and court records.", "independence_group": "dispatch" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.10tv.com/article/news/crime/columbus-man-15-years-cyberstalking-creating-ai-generated-obscene-material/530-f3a9a6c2-cf42-4011-a757-e65a624f8b9f", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 via the MSN content API copy (WBNS 10TV, 8 Sep 2026). Adds the Hilliard Police investigative history from court records.", "independence_group": "10tv" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/man-sentenced-to-15-years-in-federal-prison-for-cyberstalking-creating-ai-deepfakes-us-district-court-judge-sarah-d-morrison-james-strahler-ii-take-it-down-act-nonconsensual-project-safe-childhood", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 via the MSN content API copy (WSYX ABC6, 8 Sep 2026). Names the sentencing judge and the threats to victims' mothers.", "independence_group": "abc6" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "relationships", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The exact number of adult victims beyond 'at least six' and the number of boys depicted are not stated.", "The AI tools used are not named in any inspected source.", "Whether restitution or protective orders were imposed is not reported.", "The status of the earlier local (state) charge is not reported." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: central Ohio (Columbus/Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Delaware County) per the USAO release and Dispatch. Victims are described as women in central Ohio. Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Columbus.", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact and impersonation case: identified adult women and local boys were depicted in AI-generated sexual imagery used for harassment and threats, a federal court sentenced the perpetrator, and four sources (the prosecuting office's release and three independent local newsrooms) were read. Victims are unnamed; the perpetrator is named in the court record and press.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-18" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The defendant pleaded guilty to publication of digital forgeries and producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse; prosecutors and the court record describe AI-generated nude images and AI-made videos of victims and AI-morphed images of boys. The AI tools depicted the affected people; they did not communicate with them.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Columbus, Ohio: a man was sentenced to 15 years for cyberstalking at least six women with real and AI-generated sexual images and rape threats, the first conviction under the Take It Down Act", "summary": "Between December 2024 and June 2025 James Strahler II, then 37, of Columbus (Upper Arlington), Ohio, harassed at least six women in central Ohio by phone, voicemail, text and web posts, sending them nude images that were both real and AI-generated, threatening rape, referring to their home addresses and demanding nude photos from their mothers. In one case he used AI to make pornographic videos depicting a victim with her father and sent them to her co-workers. He also posted AI-generated sexual images of boys from his community, morphing their faces onto other bodies. Prosecutors said he had installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 web-based AI models on his phone. He pleaded guilty in April 2026 to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries, and on 8 September 2026 Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison sentenced him to 180 months in prison. The U.S. Attorney called it the first conviction in the nation under the 2025 Take It Down Act.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-01", "incidentEndDate": "2025-06-30", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-08", "aiSystem": "Generative AI image and video tools (not named; prosecutors said more than 24 AI platforms and over 100 web-based AI models were installed on the defendant's phone)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "At least six women were sexually harassed and threatened with rape using real and AI-generated nude images of themselves, with AI videos of one victim sent to her co-workers; victims' mothers were threatened, and boys from the defendant's community were depicted in AI-generated sexual abuse imagery posted online. The perpetrator received 15 years in federal prison.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 6, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "Prosecutors said Strahler harassed 'at least six' adult women (Dispatch, 10TV, ABC6). Their mothers, who were threatened, and the minor boys whose faces were used in AI-generated abuse imagery are additional harmed people without a stated count. Six counted plus unquantified others: partial.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://highlandcountypress.com/headlines/columbus-man-sentenced-15-years-prison-cyberstalking-exes-creating-ai-generated-obscene", "primarySourceLabel": "U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio press release (republished by the Highland County Press, 16 Sep 2026): Columbus man sentenced to 15 years for cyberstalking exes and creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-18T03:25:07.926173+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "cyberstalking", "take-it-down-act", "sextortion", "united-states", "ohio", "criminal-conviction", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-manhattan-da-deepfake-ncii-site-seizure", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'seizure of 12 domain names of illegal websites'; 'turn pre-existing photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people into what appear to be hyper-realistic images and videos of those individuals engaging in sexual conduct'; 'overwhelmingly women and primarily public-facing individuals'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'the seizure of 12 domains'; 'Around 1,200 people—overwhelmingly women—were depicted in nonconsensual sexual images and videos on the websites'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The Manhattan DA seized 12 domains used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual deepfakes of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and influencers.", "causal_attribution": "Directly established by the DA's press release; corroborated by WIRED's independent reporting." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'many videos appeared to be reposts of content that had originally be[en] shared on the MrDeepFakes website'; 'On at least two of the seized websites, elected officials were given profiles'; '56 European politicians... 16 US politicians and two based in the UK'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform, and dozens of politicians appeared on the sites (56 European, 16 US and two UK-based figures per the American Sunlight Project), some with profiles containing their names and positions.", "causal_attribution": "Reported by WIRED, citing researchers Benjamin Shultz (American Sunlight Project) and Leonie Oehmig (Institute for Strategic Dialogue); not part of the DA's release." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'seized these websites pursuant to a court order'; 'Our investigations into these websites and similar operations are ongoing'; sites not named.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'a seizure warrant issued by a New York State Supreme Court'; 'has not publicly named the websites'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The seizure was carried out under a New York State Supreme Court warrant; the DA did not name the sites and said investigations into who ran them and uploaded content are ongoing.", "causal_attribution": "DA release and WIRED." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "about 1,200 real people depicted in non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 seized websites", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/", "kind": "official_statement", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (DA press release, 14 Sep 2026). ~1,200 real people, 12 domains, overwhelmingly women, court-ordered seizure, ongoing investigation, victim hotline.", "independence_group": "manhattanda" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-seizes-a-dozen-celebrity-deepfake-websites/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-14). Independent reporting: observed takedown notices pre-announcement, New York State Supreme Court warrant, MrDeepFakes reposts, ISD and American Sunlight Project researchers, 56 EU / 16 US / 2 UK politicians.", "independence_group": "wired" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "privacy", "justice", "everyday_life" ], "unknowns": [ "No individual victim is named and the ~1,200 figure is the DA's approximation; how it counts depicted people versus content creators is not fully specified.", "The site operators and uploaders are not identified and no arrests are reported.", "How long the sites operated is unclear (WIRED cites one claiming to have been online since 2018); the anchoring event date is the 14 September 2026 seizure." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event and court: the seizure was executed by the Manhattan DA under a New York State Supreme Court warrant (DA release, WIRED). Affected people span many countries (US, UK and dozens of European figures per the American Sunlight Project) and are not enumerated, so affected-person countries are left empty.", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a bounded series of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery affecting about 1,200 real, identifiable-category people, anchored to the Manhattan DA's 14 September 2026 seizure. The DA's release and WIRED's independent reporting (with named researchers) are read; the count is the DA's approximate figure and the counting method for anonymous-actor artifact waves is flagged for the operator.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-17" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Manhattan DA's office states AI image- and video-creation tools were used to turn real people's photos into sexual deepfakes; WIRED and cited researchers describe the AI-generated non-consensual imagery on the seized sites. The specific tools are not identified.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "New York: the Manhattan District Attorney seized 12 websites selling AI-generated sexual deepfakes of about 1,200 real people", "summary": "On 14 September 2026 Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the seizure of 12 domain names used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual 'deepfake' videos. His office said individuals under investigation had used AI image- and video-creation tools to turn photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, into hyper-realistic sexual imagery without consent. The victims included actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and social-media influencers. WIRED and outside researchers reported that many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform and that dozens of politicians appeared on the sites; investigations into who ran them are ongoing.", "incidentDate": "2026-09-14", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-14", "aiSystem": "AI image- and video-generation tools (not identified), used to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "reputational_harm", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, had their faces and bodies turned into non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 websites; the Manhattan DA described an immense toll on victims' emotional and mental wellbeing and careers, and seized the domains.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1200, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "The Manhattan DA's office states approximately 1,200 real people were depicted in non-consensual sexual imagery on the 12 seized sites; WIRED independently reports the same approximate figure, and the American Sunlight Project counted dozens of politicians among them (56 European, 16 US, 2 UK). The 1,200 figure is the prosecuting authority's approximate count of depicted real people; recorded as a documented minimum.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/", "primarySourceLabel": "Manhattan District Attorney's Office press release, 14 September 2026: D.A. seizes domains of 12 illegal websites selling AI-generated deepfakes (~1,200 real people)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-17T03:27:44.31761+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ncii", "non-consensual-imagery", "manhattan-da", "new-york", "celebrities", "united-states", "depicted-or-impersonated" ] }, { "id": "2026-leal-ai-impersonation-immigration-scam", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'his image and name and even his voice have been cloned with artificial intelligence to deceive desperate immigrants'; 'fake contracts bearing his firm's logo, forged signatures, websites that mimic his site... entirely fabricated immigration hearings'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'criminals are creating fake videos using his image, voice and name'; the WhatsApp-to-Zelle/Venmo script.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'scammers have used AI to produce fake immigration hearings over Zoom to dupe immigrants'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Criminals used AI to clone Ángel Leal's image, name, voice, signature and firm logo, producing fake videos, look-alike websites, forged contracts and fabricated Zoom hearings that offered immigration services (residency, citizenship 'without an exam', work permits) he never provided.", "causal_attribution": "Leal's own account, carried by four independent outlets." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'some victims end up with deportation orders without having filed any real paperwork, believing their case was in progress'; payments via Zelle/Venmo/Cash App.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'It's gotten to the point where I literally have one to two people every day, all day, answering calls of people who have been defrauded or scammed'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "Leal describes the harm to 'other people's needs'; ABA/AILA describe victims paying scammers who impersonated lawyers.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Immigrants were defrauded of money paying for services Leal never provided, and some ended up with deportation orders believing their cases were in progress.", "causal_attribution": "Reported by Leal and immigration-lawyer groups; individual victims are not named and the total is not quantified." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'6,454 fake profiles linked to these scams have been taken down' since March.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'in June alone... they had taken down over 6,600 fake videos and profiles'; 'Leal has filed a report with the Doral Police Department.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Leal changed his phone number, hired an anti-piracy firm that removed thousands of fake profiles and videos (about 6,454 since March per NBC Miami; more than 6,600 by June per WLRN), and reported the fraud to Doral police and federal authorities.", "causal_attribution": "Leal and his anti-piracy vendor, as reported; the two removal figures cover different windows." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "attorney's identity cloned with AI and used to defraud immigrants; reputational harm and business disruption to him, financial and legal harm to victims", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/scammers-impersonate-immigration-lawyers-rcna348238", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-06-04). NBC News national report; Leal interview, FTC/FBI context, ABA and AILA comment.", "independence_group": "nbc" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/south-florida-immigration-lawyers-identity-cloned-with-artificial-intelligence/3817579/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-06-05). NBC6 South Florida; Leal interview, fake videos and WhatsApp/Zelle scheme; story translated from Spanish with an AI tool and editor-reviewed.", "independence_group": "nbcmiami" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/south-florida-immigration-attorney-says-ai-scammers-are-using-his-identity-to-target-immigrants/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 via the Internet Archive capture 20260728171300 (CBS live returns HTTP 406); datePublished 2026-06-09. CBS News Miami; Leal interview, the $2,200 residency-video scheme, ~6,500 profiles removed.", "independence_group": "cbsmiami" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.wlrn.org/immigration/2026-08-20/abogado-inmigracion-ai-scam-fraud", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-08-20). WLRN Public Media; Leal realised the problem last October, one to two defrauded callers a day, 6,600+ removals in June, fake Zoom hearings, Doral police report.", "independence_group": "wlrn" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "justice", "finance", "everyday_life" ], "unknowns": [ "No individual defrauded immigrant is named and the total amount lost is not established; the reported per-victim figure (about $4,820/$5,000) comes from a Latin Times headline not inspected in full.", "No arrests are reported and no defendant is identified.", "Whether the fabricated 'deportation orders' outcome affected specific named people is not established." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: South Florida (Doral/Miami); Leal practises there and reported to Doral police (WLRN, NBC Miami). Affected people are immigrants in South Florida. No court proceeding established.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an AI-impersonation case with real harm: a named attorney's likeness and voice were cloned to defraud immigrants, causing him reputational and business harm and causing victims financial and reported legal harm. Four independent chains, including his own on-camera interviews; victim count left partial because individual victims are unquantified.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-17" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Leal and multiple outlets state that his real videos were manipulated with AI to clone his face and voice; NBC News, NBC Miami, CBS Miami and WLRN carry his account, and an anti-piracy firm documented thousands of AI-generated fake profiles. The specific AI tools are not named.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Miami: scammers cloned immigration attorney Ángel Leal's face and voice with AI to defraud immigrants seeking legal help", "summary": "From around October 2025, criminals used AI to clone the image, voice, name, signature and firm logo of Ángel Leal, a long-established immigration attorney in Doral, Florida. They created fake videos, look-alike websites, forged contracts and even fabricated Zoom 'immigration hearings' to persuade immigrants to pay for legal services Leal never provided. Immigrants were defrauded of money, and some believed their cases were progressing when they were not; Leal received one to two defrauded callers a day, changed his phone number, hired an anti-piracy firm that removed thousands of fake profiles and videos, and reported the fraud to local police and federal authorities.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-01", "incidentKind": "ongoing_experience", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-06-04", "aiSystem": "AI voice- and video-cloning / deepfake tools (not identified in the inspected reporting)", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "reputational_harm", "financial_loss", "legal_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "An immigration attorney's identity was cloned with AI and used to defraud immigrants, causing him reputational harm and business disruption (he changed his phone number and hired an anti-piracy firm) and causing defrauded immigrants financial loss, with some reportedly left facing deportation orders after believing their cases were progressing.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "One counted, identified harmed person: Ángel Leal, whose likeness and voice were cloned and whose practice was disrupted. An unquantified additional group of immigrants was defrauded (Leal reports one to two defrauded callers a day; one legal immigrant reportedly lost about $4,820 per a Latin Times headline not inspected in full); no reliable victim count is established, so the status is partial.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/scammers-impersonate-immigration-lawyers-rcna348238", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News, 4 June 2026: Scammers impersonate immigration lawyers (Angel Leal interview; FTC/FBI context; ABA/AILA comment)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-17T03:27:41.533841+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "voice-clone", "impersonation", "immigration", "fraud", "united-states", "florida", "depicted-or-impersonated" ] }, { "id": "2024-incheon-teacher-deepfake-student-sentence", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'인천지법 형사1단독(부장판사 이창경)은 16일 선고공판에서... A(10대)군에게 장기 2년, 단기 1년6개월의 징역형을 선고했다'; '40시간의 성폭력 치료 프로그램 이수와 아동·청소년 관련 기관 취업제한 5년'; '도주 우려 등을 이유로 A군을 법정구속했다'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'장기 2년∼단기 1년6개월의 징역형을 선고하고 법정 구속했다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'장기 2년, 단기 1년6개월의 징역형을 선고하고 법정 구속했다. 소년법상 만 19세 미만 미성년자에게는... 부정기형이 내려진다.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "On 16 September 2026 the Incheon District Court (Criminal Division 1, Judge 이창경) sentenced the teenage defendant to an indeterminate term of 2 years maximum / 1 year 6 months minimum for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (editing and distributing false sexual images), ordered 40 hours of treatment and a five-year child-institution employment ban, and detained him in court.", "causal_attribution": "Sentence reported identically by three outlets from the sentencing hearing." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'2024년 8월 인공지능을 이용해 교사 5명의 얼굴을 나체사진에 합성한 뒤 사회관계망서비스(SNS)에 유포한 혐의'; '모두 11명의 허위영상물을 35차례 제작'; ''지인 능욕'을 테마로 한 텔레그램 대화방'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'2024년 8월 인공지능(AI) 기술을 이용해 교사와 학생들의 얼굴을 나체 사진에 합성한 혐의'; '교사 5명과 함께 태권도 학원에 다닌 여중생 등 총 11명을 대상으로 35차례에 걸쳐 합성물을 제작, 텔레그램 '지인 능욕' 대화방 등에 유포'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'2024년 인천의 한 중학교에 재학하던 중 딥페이크 기술을 이용해 교사 등 20여명의 얼굴을 나체 사진과 영상에 합성한 뒤 SNS에 유포한 혐의' (the prosecution's figure of about twenty).", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "In 2024, while a middle-school student in Incheon, he used AI deepfake technology to composite the faces of five teachers and six female middle- and high-school students from his taekwondo academy onto nude photographs and videos, 35 productions of 11 people in all, and distributed them in Telegram 'acquaintance humiliation' chat rooms.", "causal_attribution": "Court findings as reported; the 11-in-35 count is Hankyoreh's and Munhwa's, and Newsis's 'about twenty' is the prosecution's charge description." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'자신의 담임교사에게 \"연락처와 사진이 지워졌다\"고 속여 사진을 받아내는 등 치밀하게 범행을 준비한 것으로 조사됐다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "He obtained his homeroom teacher's photographs by telling her that his contacts and photos had been deleted.", "causal_attribution": "Investigation finding reported by Munhwa Ilbo only." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Judge: '반포한 교사 5명의 합성 사진과 영상물에는 피해자의 얼굴이 그대로 드러나 있고 실명, 나이, 학교, 교과목도 명시돼 있다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "Judge: '피해 교사들의 얼굴뿐 아니라 실명, 학교, 휴대전화 번호까지 명시해 반포했다'; '피해자들이 장기간 심리치료를 받는 등 상당한 트라우마를 겪고 있는 점'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "Judge: '피해교사들은 말할 수 없는 충격을 받고 트라우마를 겪고 있으며 A군의 엄벌 탄원하고 있다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The distributed images showed the teachers' faces together with their real names, ages, schools, subjects and phone numbers, and the court found the teachers are suffering considerable trauma and receiving long-term psychological treatment.", "causal_attribution": "The judge's sentencing remarks as reported by three outlets; phone numbers appear only in Munhwa's account." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A군은 지역교권보호위원회가 열리기 일주일 전 자퇴해 학교 차원의 별다른 징계 처분은 받지 않았다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'피해 교사들은 올해 1월에야 피해 사실을 인지했으나, A 군은 교권보호위원회가 열리기 전 자퇴해 학교 측의 징계를 피했다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'ㄱ군은 교권보호위원회가 열리기 전 자퇴해 징계 처분을 받지 않았다'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "He withdrew from school a week before the regional teachers'-rights protection committee met and received no school discipline; the teachers learned of the images only in January 2026.", "causal_attribution": "The withdrawal is reported by all three; the January 2026 discovery by Munhwa only." }, { "id": "c6", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'검찰이 구형한 부정기형 장기 3년6개월∼단기 2년은... 그러나 이날 선고는 검찰 구형에도 미치지 못했다'; the superintendent's pledge.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'인천교사노동조합은 입장문을 내고... 이번 선고에 깊은 유감을 표한다'; the superintendent: '법적·심리 치료 지원과 함께... 예방교육도 강화하겠다'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The Incheon Teachers' Union expressed regret that the sentence fell below the prosecution's request of 3 years 6 months to 2 years; the superintendent of education attended and pledged legal and psychological support and prevention education.", "causal_attribution": "Statements reported by two outlets." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "teachers and students depicted in AI-composited sexual images distributed with their names, schools and phone numbers; long-term trauma treatment", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260916_0003791674", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ko", "translation_note": "Read in Korean on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-09-16T10:51+09:00; Incheon bureau reporter 이루비; '종합' consolidated report). Model reading; no human bilingual review.", "independence_group": "newsis" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/area/capital/1278039.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ko", "translation_note": "Read in Korean on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-09-16T11:00+09:00). Model reading; no human bilingual review.", "independence_group": "hani" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.munhwa.com/article/11617393", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "ko", "translation_note": "Read in Korean on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-09-16T10:51+09:00). Model reading; no human bilingual review.", "independence_group": "munhwa" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The AI tool used is not named; the written judgment was not inspected.", "The number of people depicted differs between the prosecution's charge description (about twenty, per Newsis) and the court reporting (eleven); eleven is used as the documented minimum.", "When the distribution began and ended within 2024 and whether the additional indicted conduct extended later are not stated; the record uses August 2024 with month precision and no end date.", "Whether either side appeals, and the outcome of any separate proceedings against the Telegram room operators, are not reported.", "Earlier coverage of the arrest or indictment was not inspected; the reported_date is the sentencing coverage.", "Korean bodies were read by the model without human bilingual review." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: an Incheon middle school and a taekwondo academy in Incheon (Newsis: '인천의 한 중학교'); victims are Incheon teachers and students; court: Incheon District Court.", "court_countries": [ "KR" ], "event_countries": [ "KR" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "KR" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a criminal judgment: a court found that AI deepfake images of five teachers and six students were made and distributed with identifying details, and described the victims' ongoing trauma. Three separately bylined Korean outlets were read. The defendant is a minor and unnamed in the sources and here; no victim is named; the superintendent, union chair and judge are public officials.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-16" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Three outlets report the court's findings that the images were made with AI deepfake (image-compositing) technology and the conviction under the false-sexual-image provisions; the specific tool is not named. The Korean bodies were read by the model; no written judgment was inspected.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Incheon, South Korea: teenager sentenced to up to two years for AI deepfake sexual images of five teachers and six students, distributed on Telegram with the victims' names and schools", "summary": "On 16 September 2026 the Incheon District Court sentenced a teenage defendant to an indeterminate term of two years (maximum) to one year six months (minimum) under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act for making and distributing false sexual images, ordered a 40-hour treatment programme and a five-year ban on working with children, and took him into custody in court. As a middle-school student in Incheon in 2024 he had used AI deepfake technology to composite the faces of five teachers, including his homeroom teacher whom he tricked into sending photographs, and six female middle- and high-school students from his taekwondo academy onto nude images and videos, 35 productions in all, and distributed them in Telegram 'acquaintance humiliation' chat rooms with the victims' real names, ages, schools, subjects and, per one report, phone numbers. The teachers learned of the images only in January 2026; the court said they are receiving long-term psychological treatment. He had withdrawn from school a week before the teachers'-rights committee met, avoiding school discipline. The Incheon teachers' union called the sentence, below the prosecution's request, regrettable.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-16", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake image-compositing tools (not named in the inspected court reporting)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Five teachers and six students had their faces composited by AI onto nude images and videos that were distributed on Telegram with their real names, ages, schools, subjects and phone numbers; the court found the teachers are suffering considerable trauma and receiving long-term psychological treatment.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 11, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Hankyoreh and Munhwa Ilbo both report 11 people (five teachers and six students) in 35 composites, as found by the court; Newsis reports the prosecution's charge sheet as 'about twenty', which is not used as a count. Eleven is the documented minimum.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260916_0003791674", "primarySourceLabel": "뉴시스 (Newsis), 16 September 2026, Incheon bureau: sentencing report with the judge's reasons, the superintendent's and the union's statements", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-16T03:16:35.128819+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "south-korea", "incheon", "teachers", "minors", "telegram", "criminal-sentence", "depicted-or-impersonated" ] }, { "id": "2026-operacao-sophia-ai-voice-clone-donation-scam", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Os criminosos utilizavam clonagem de voz e deepfake para simular apelos emocionais das crianças'; pages 'Clube de Doadores' and 'Unidos pelo Amor'; 'sites que imitavam plataformas legítimas de arrecadação, como o Vakinha... código Pix... contas de empresas de fachada'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'As principais produções eram feitas com crianças em tratamento de doenças graves'; pages 'Clube de Doadores', 'Doadores com Amor' and 'Unidos pelo Amor'; the fake-site Pix mechanics paragraph.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The group used AI tools, deepfake and voice cloning to turn real fundraising campaigns of children with serious illnesses into fake donation appeals, boosted by pages named 'Clube de Doadores', 'Doadores com Amor' and 'Unidos pelo Amor', leading donors to lookalike sites that issued Pix codes to shell companies.", "causal_attribution": "Both chains attribute the method to the investigating police; the specific AI tools are not named." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "The fake audio text ('O remédio que pode me ajudar é muito caro...'); 'Apenas na campanha falsa envolvendo a imagem da menina, a polícia rastreou R$ 294,5 mil desviados'; 'Foi horrível. A gente perdeu o sono, eu chorei muito'; the donors-'eu doei' passage.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'apenas em relação à falsa campanha que deu origem ao inquérito, ao menos R$ 294,5 mil diretamente rastreados entre chave Pix e gateways de pagamento'; 'A família da criança não autorizou a campanha e não recebeu os valores arrecadados.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The originating fake campaign used the image of Kelen Santos's daughter and an AI-generated child voice — 'O remédio que pode me ajudar é muito caro... qualquer valor já me dá mais um dia com a minha mãe' — and police traced R$294,500 diverted in that campaign; the family lost sleep and had to tell congratulating donors their money had gone to a scam.", "causal_attribution": "The diverted amount is the police's traced figure for the originating campaign, carried by both chains; the mother's distress is her own account." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A operação contra o estelionato e a lavagem de dinheiro prendeu 16 pessoas nesta terça-feira (14)... em cidades de cinco estados diferentes'; 'uma empresa... núcleo financeiro do grupo... movimentou mais de R$ 1,7 milhão'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'A \"Operação Sophia\" acontece por meio da Delegacia de Repressão aos Crimes Patrimoniais Eletrônicos do Rio Grande do Sul, sob coordenação do Delegado João Vitor Herédia. Até o momento, 16 pessoas foram presas preventivamente'; states listed; the R$1.7M hub passage.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Operação Sophia, launched on Tuesday 14 July 2026 by the DRCPE under Delegate João Vitor Herédia, preventively arrested 16 people across five states (RS, PR, SP, MS, PE); a financial-hub company moved more than R$1.7 million in the investigated period.", "causal_attribution": "Official police action carried by two independent chains; charges and trials are not yet reported." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A vaquinha verdadeira foi encerrada pela família após o valor necessário ser atingido. O tratamento foi realizado e a menina apresenta melhora no quadro de saúde.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The daughter's legitimate fundraising campaign had ended earlier after reaching its goal; her treatment was completed and her health is improving.", "causal_attribution": "Recovery context preserved per the charter; single chain, attributed." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a sick child's image and AI-cloned voice fronted a fake fundraiser that diverted R$294,500; her family absorbed the social cost", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "recovery context: the daughter's legitimate campaign met its goal earlier and her health is improving", "claim_id": "c4", "direction": "positive" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2026/07/15/vitima-golpe-ia-vaquinha-crianca-cancer-mae.ghtml", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read in Portuguese on 2026-09-15 (g1 RS / RBS TV, by Duda Romagna; operation dated 'terça-feira (14)' July 2026). Model translation, no human reviewer.", "independence_group": "g1" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/nacional/sul/rs/organizacao-criminosa-de-falsas-doacoes-online-e-alvo-de-operacao/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read in Portuguese on 2026-09-15 (datePublished 2026-07-14T08:00-03:00, updated 12:49). Model translation, no human reviewer.", "independence_group": "cnn-brasil" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2026/07/14/policia-civil-mira-grupo-suspeito-de-golpe-com-falsas-doacoes-e-pix.ghtm", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "HTTP 403 (Akamai) on 2026-09-15; headline verified in Google News RSS. Body not inspected; language not established.", "independence_group": "uol" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "health", "finance", "everyday_life" ], "unknowns": [ "The specific AI voice-cloning and deepfake tools are not named in the inspected reporting.", "How many children were used nationwide is unknown to the police; the number of defrauded donors is not reported.", "Whether the 16 arrested have been charged, and with what offences, is not yet reported.", "Whether any funds were recovered for donors is not reported.", "The start date of the fake campaigns is not stated; only the operation date (14 July 2026) is firm." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: the fake campaigns and the operation across Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco. Affected persons: the child and family in Rio Grande do Sul; donors nationwide. No court proceeding is reported yet; a police unit is not a court.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "BR" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "BR" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation/fraud case (depicted_or_impersonated): a sick child's image and AI-cloned voice weaponized for donation fraud, documented by two independent chains carrying police figures, with recovery context preserved. The child is unnamed, as in the sources; the mother spoke publicly. Donors are unquantified; money amounts are recorded but never converted to person counts.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Both inspected chains attribute to the investigating police that the group used AI tools, deepfake and voice cloning for the fake appeals; g1 reproduces the AI-generated audio's text from the fake video. The specific tools are not named.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Brazil: scammers used AI-cloned voices and images of children with cancer in fake donation campaigns; 16 arrested in Operação Sophia", "summary": "On 14 July 2026 the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Police launched Operação Sophia against a group that used AI voice cloning and deepfake to turn real fundraising campaigns of children with cancer into fake donation appeals: AI-generated child voices asked for money in videos boosted by pages such as 'Clube de Doadores' and 'Unidos pelo Amor', leading donors to lookalike sites that issued Pix codes to shell companies. Sixteen people were arrested across five states. In the campaign that started the investigation — using the image of Kelen Santos's daughter, who was in cancer treatment — police traced R$294,500 diverted, and the investigation found a financial-hub company that moved more than R$1.7 million. The family had to tell congratulating donors that their money had gone to a scam.", "incidentDate": "2026-07-01", "incidentEndDate": "2026-07-14", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-14", "aiSystem": "AI voice-cloning and deepfake video tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "financial_loss", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A sick child's image and an AI clone of her voice were weaponized into a fake fundraiser that diverted R$294,500 from donors, leaving her family sleepless and forced to tell donors their gifts had gone to scammers; police say other sick children were used nationwide in unknown numbers.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "One counted depicted child: the daughter in the originating case, whose image and AI-cloned voice were used (mother's and police accounts). Police state they do not know how many other children were used nationwide, and defrauded donors are unquantified people — so the total is counted-plus-unquantified (partial). Money amounts are not person counts and are not converted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "BR", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2026/07/15/vitima-golpe-ia-vaquinha-crianca-cancer-mae.ghtml", "primarySourceLabel": "g1 RS / RBS TV (15 Jul 2026, Duda Romagna) — the mother's account, the fake audio's text, and the operation details", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-15T09:29:09.751654+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "depicted-or-impersonated", "voice-clone", "deepfake", "fraud", "donation-scam", "children", "brazil" ] }, { "id": "2026-untan-pontianak-deepfake-victims-suspended", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Kasus dugaan penyalahgunaan teknologi AI tersebut mencuat di media sosial pada awal Mei 2026. RY, mahasiswa Jurusan Biologi FMIPA Untan angkatan 2025, disebut diduga menggunakan teknologi AI untuk memanipulasi foto teman kuliah dan sejumlah mahasiswi menjadi konten vulgar bermuatan asusila'; the borrowed-phone discovery passage.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "In early May 2026 a case of alleged AI abuse surfaced at Untan: RY, a Biology FMIPA student (class of 2025), allegedly used AI to turn photos of female classmates and other students into vulgar content; it came to light when a classmate borrowing his phone found manipulated photos in the gallery.", "causal_attribution": "Reported with the outlet's 'dugaan' (alleged) framing; the task force's findings and any police complaint are not public in the inspected source." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Satgas PPKPT Untan telah memeriksa sembilan korban dan saksi, melakukan pendalaman terhadap perangkat milik terlapor, hingga membuka kanal pelaporan bagi korban lain yang belum teridentifikasi'; the victims'-origin passage.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The university's Satgas PPKPT task force examined nine victims and witnesses, deepened examination of the complainant's devices, and opened a reporting channel for further unidentified victims; victims come from the campus, the suspect's high-school circle in Singkawang, and universities outside West Kalimantan.", "causal_attribution": "The 'nine victims and witnesses' figure mixes roles; only the six documented suspended victims are counted as harmed persons." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'keenam mahasiswi tersebut disebut mendapat sanksi skorsing selama dua semester'; Achmadi: 'Yang keenam mahasiswi itu sanksinya dicabut dan kuliahnya tetap aktif kembali'; the corrected decree to be handed over 'Selasa (15/9)'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "The university suspended six of the victimized students for two semesters; after the 14 September 2026 student demonstration, Vice Rector Dr Achmadi announced the six sanctions were revoked and their academic status reactivated, with the corrected decree to be handed over on 15 September.", "causal_attribution": "The suspension and revocation are reported through the outlet's account of the demonstration and the Vice Rector's on-record statements; the suspension decree itself was not inspected." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'keputusan tersebut belum membuat massa sepenuhnya puas'; 'Mahasiswa masih menuntut kepastian mengenai sanksi terhadap mahasiswa berinisial RY... mendesak Untan menjatuhkan sanksi drop out (DO)'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Students welcomed the revocation but said they were not fully satisfied and continued to demand RY's expulsion (drop out); the alleged perpetrator's sanction remained pending.", "causal_attribution": "The student demands are reported; the university's decision on RY is pending." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "students victimized by AI deepfakes were suspended by their university; sanctions revoked after protests", "claim_id": "c3", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.detik.com/kalimantan/hukum-dan-kriminal/d-8663012/untan-cabut-sanksi-6-korban-deepfake-mahasiswa-masih-desak-pelaku-di-do/amp", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "id", "translation_note": "Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-15 (datePublished 2026-09-15T06:58+07:00; 12 substantive paragraphs). Model translation, no human reviewer.", "independence_group": "detik" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education" ], "unknowns": [ "The specific AI tool used is not named in the inspected reporting.", "Whether the task force or police confirmed the images were AI-generated, and any forensic findings from the phone, are not public in the inspected source.", "The six suspended students' basis for suspension (which rule they were accused of violating) is not stated in the inspected source.", "Some victims come from the suspect's high-school circle; their ages are unstated and they may include minors — sensitivity note recorded.", "The corrected decree's contents (handover planned for 15 September) and the decision on RY are pending.", "The earlier report in the same series (11 September) is listed but its body was not re-extracted in this pass." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event and affected persons: Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, with some victims from the suspect's high-school circle in Singkawang and universities outside West Kalimantan — all in Indonesia. No court proceeding is reported; the university's task force and rectorate are not courts.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "ID" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "ID" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a consequential institutional response: students depicted in alleged AI-generated vulgar images were suspended by their university, reversed after protests. The victims are unnamed in the source and here; the suspect is identified by initials only, as in the source; the 'dugaan' (alleged) framing is preserved throughout.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The case is reported as alleged AI abuse: manipulated photos found in the suspect's phone gallery and reported as AI-generated vulgar content (detikKalimantan's account; 'dugaan'/alleged framing throughout). The specific tool is not named; the task force's device examination findings are not public.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Pontianak, Indonesia: university suspended six students victimized by AI deepfakes; the sanctions were revoked after student protests", "summary": "In May 2026, a case of alleged AI abuse surfaced at Tanjungpura University (Untan), Pontianak: a biology student identified by the initials RY allegedly used AI to turn photos of female classmates and other students into vulgar content, discovered when a classmate borrowing his phone found manipulated images in the gallery. The university's task force examined nine victims and witnesses and opened a reporting channel. The university then suspended six of the victimized students for two semesters — while the alleged perpetrator received a lighter sanction — prompting a student demonstration on 14 September 2026 demanding the victims' reinstatement and RY's expulsion. At the protest, Vice Rector Dr Achmadi announced the six sanctions were revoked and the students' academic status reactivated, with the corrected decree to be handed over on 15 September.", "incidentDate": "2026-05-01", "incidentEndDate": "2026-09-15", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-11", "aiSystem": "AI image-manipulation tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm", "educational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Female students depicted in AI-generated vulgar images were then suspended for two semesters by their own university — an institutional re-victimization reversed only after student protests — while continuing to seek the alleged perpetrator's expulsion.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 6, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Lower bound: the six victimized students whose two-semester suspensions were revoked on 14 September 2026 (Vice Rector's on-record account). The task force examined 'nine victims and witnesses' and opened a channel for unidentified victims, so the total is larger but not quantified by role; only the six documented suspended victims are counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "ID", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.detik.com/kalimantan/hukum-dan-kriminal/d-8663012/untan-cabut-sanksi-6-korban-deepfake-mahasiswa-masih-desak-pelaku-di-do/amp", "primarySourceLabel": "detikKalimantan (15 Sep 2026, Ocsya Ade CP) — the 14 Sep demonstration, the revocation, and the case background", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-15T09:27:14.16594+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "depicted-or-impersonated", "ncii", "deepfake", "university", "institutional-response", "indonesia" ] }, { "id": "2025-harwood-grok-csam", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Docket header: 'Date Filed: July 14, 2026'; 'Assigned To: Reed Charles O'Connor'; 'Cause: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract'; entry 6: 'SUMMONS Returned Executed as to Terry Wayne Harwood ; served on 7/28/2026'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "Caption 'Case 7:26-cv-00078-O Document 1 Filed 07/14/26'; paragraph 11 (plaintiff) and paragraph 12 (defendant's Gray Court address).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "X.AI LLC filed X.AI LLC v. Harwood, No. 7:26-cv-00078, in the Northern District of Texas (Wichita Falls Division, Judge Reed O'Connor) on 14 July 2026 as a diversity breach-of-contract action; summons was served on 28 July 2026.", "causal_attribution": "Filing facts are established directly by the docket and the complaint." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Paragraph 26 (accounts created 8 and 10 December 2025); paragraph 27 ('at least as early as December 8, 2025 and at least as late as February 18, 2026... uploaded non-sexual images of numerous adults and minors'); paragraph 28 ('repeatedly submitted further prompts, with alterations, in an effort to circumvent Grok's... images produced by Defendant involved the likeness of minor children'); paragraphs 29-33 (the 10-or-11-year-old example and Grok's refusal).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Grok refused to follow his prompts on \"numerous occasions\" but... he repeatedly submitted edited prompts to circumvent the AI's safeguards... uploaded the photo of a fully dressed girl around 10 to 11 years old'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'alleges Harwood created multiple xAI accounts and entered \"misleading prompts\" to create explicit deepfakes of both minors and adults'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "The complaint alleges that, between at least 8 December 2025 and 18 February 2026, Harwood used two xAI accounts to upload non-sexual images of numerous adults and minors and prompted Grok to alter them into sexualized images and videos; that Grok refused on numerous occasions and he resubmitted altered prompts to circumvent its safeguards; and that some images produced involved the likeness of minor children, including an example where he uploaded a photograph of a fully clothed girl of about 10 or 11 and asked Grok to remove her clothing.", "causal_attribution": "These are the plaintiff's allegations, pleaded upon information and belief from xAI's review of the accounts; no court has ruled on them and the defendant's response is not on the docket." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Paragraph 6: 'Plaintiff has suspended 52,222 accounts and made 73,604 reports to NCMEC in 2026, resulting in (at least) 244 arrests'; paragraph 34: 'Plaintiff is actively providing its full' cooperation (the sentence continues across the page break to page 10).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'xAI claims that it \"has suspended 52,222 accounts and made 73,604 reports to (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) in 2026, resulting in (at least) 244 arrests.\"'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "The complaint states that xAI suspended 52,222 accounts and made 73,604 reports to NCMEC in 2026, resulting in at least 244 arrests, and that it is cooperating with the criminal proceedings against Harwood.", "causal_attribution": "xAI's own figures as stated in its pleading; not independently verified." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Harwood was arrested on February 26, 2026. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405)... and five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410)'; 'Investigators received CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Harwood'; 'all defendants are presumed innocent'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "Paragraph 34 quotes the 9 March 2026 announcement and lists Laurens County case numbers 2026A3010100169-71 and 2026A3010100174-78.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The office of South Carolina's Attorney General announced Harwood's arrest on March 9'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "South Carolina's Internet Crimes Against Children task force arrested Harwood on 26 February 2026 after NCMEC CyberTipline reports; the state attorney general announced on 9 March 2026 that he was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, and five counts, third degree, each a felony punishable by up to ten years, and that investigators state he possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material; the release stresses the presumption of innocence and does not mention AI.", "causal_attribution": "The charges are established by the attorney general's release; whether the charged material was Grok-generated is not stated by the release." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Paragraph 10 and the prayer for relief (B: declare breach; C: indemnify; D: damages; injunction against new accounts or further use).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'xAI is now asking asking [sic] the court for an unspecified amount of monetary damages. It wants the court to order the defendant to pay for the expenses it incurs to defend itself in any legal action that might be filed by his victims.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "xAI seeks a declaration of breach, indemnification for the costs of defending any claims by the people depicted, damages and a permanent ban from Grok.", "causal_attribution": "Relief sought as pleaded." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "real adults and children depicted in Grok-altered sexualized images and videos, per the provider's own complaint", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.423147/gov.uscourts.txnd.423147.1.0_3.pdf", "kind": "court_filing", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (pdftotext, 12 pages; paragraphs 6-10, 12, 26-34, 41-47 and the prayer for relief).", "independence_group": "court-record" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73616819/xai-llc-v-harwood/", "kind": "court_docket", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16: six docket entries (complaint 14 July, summons issued 15 July, summons returned executed 31 July, served 28 July 2026).", "independence_group": "court-record" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.scag.gov/about-the-office/news/four-upstate-men-arrested-on-child-sexual-abuse-material-charges/", "kind": "official_statement", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (undated page; the complaint dates the release 9 March 2026).", "independence_group": "scag" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.engadget.com/2216382/xai-sues-grok-user-generating-nonconsensual-sexualized-deepfakes/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-07-16); reports the complaint and the arrest release.", "independence_group": "engadget" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/business/xai-sues-user-alleged-child-sexual-abuse-materials", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-07-16T02:05Z, i.e. 15 July US time); reports the complaint; CNN reached out to his criminal-defense attorney.", "independence_group": "cnn" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/elon-musk-xai-sues-grok-user-deepfakes", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-07-17); reports the complaint via Reuters and places it among the suits xAI faces.", "independence_group": "futurism" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "No depicted person is identified, counted or located in any inspected source; whether any has been notified or has made a claim is unknown.", "Whether the material underlying the South Carolina charges is the Grok-generated material described in xAI's complaint is not stated by the attorney general's release.", "The defendant's answer or other response in the civil case is not on the docket as inspected (last entry 31 July 2026); the status of the criminal case after March 2026 was not researched.", "The complaint's account of Grok's refusals and of which prompts succeeded rests on xAI's internal review and is not independently verified." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: the defendant's account use from Gray Court, South Carolina (complaint paragraph 12; attorney general's release); the depicted people's locations are not reported, so affected-person countries are unknown. Courts: N.D. Texas (civil) and Laurens County, South Carolina (criminal).", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case documented by court records: the provider's own complaint alleges that its image tool was made to sexualize photographs of real adults and children, and the state has charged the user with exploitation offences. The allegations are recorded as allegations, the depicted people are unidentified and uncounted, and the defendant is named because he is named in the public court record and the attorney general's release.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-16" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "xAI's own complaint, pleaded upon information and belief from its review of the defendant's accounts, alleges that Grok altered uploaded photographs of real people into sexualized images and videos after repeated prompt variations; the state attorney general's arrest release does not mention AI, and no court has ruled on the allegations.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "South Carolina: xAI sues a Grok user it says turned photographs of real adults and children into sexualized images (X.AI LLC v. Harwood)", "summary": "On 14 July 2026 X.AI LLC sued Terry Wayne Harwood, 67, of Gray Court, South Carolina, in the Northern District of Texas for breach of its terms of service. The complaint says a review of his two Grok accounts shows that between at least 8 December 2025 and 18 February 2026 he uploaded non-sexual images of numerous adults and minors and prompted Grok to alter them into sexualized images and videos, resubmitting altered prompts when Grok refused; one example involved a fully clothed girl of about 10 or 11. Harwood had been arrested on 26 February 2026 by South Carolina's Internet Crimes Against Children task force on eight felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, announced by the state attorney general on 9 March. The people depicted are not identified in any inspected source; the complaint's allegations remain allegations and the criminal charges are pending.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-08", "incidentEndDate": "2026-02-18", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-07-15", "aiSystem": "Grok (xAI image generation and editing)", "aiCompany": "xAI (X.AI LLC, the plaintiff; described in later coverage as SpaceXAI)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Per xAI's complaint, numerous real adults and minors had non-sexual photographs of themselves altered by Grok into sexualized images and videos at the defendant's prompting; the complaint anticipates claims by those victims. No depicted person is identified in the inspected sources.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint refers to 'numerous adults and minors' without a count and gives one example; the attorney general's release counts charges, not victims. No reliable count of depicted people exists.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.423147/gov.uscourts.txnd.423147.1.0_3.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Complaint, X.AI LLC v. Harwood, No. 7:26-cv-00078 (N.D. Tex. filed 14 July 2026), 12 pages, RECAP copy", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-04T02:56:01.27043+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "deepfake", "csam", "lawsuit", "south-carolina", "depicted-or-impersonated", "terms-of-service" ] }, { "id": "2026-bentonville-grok-csam-lawsuits", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Bentonville police received a tip June 8 related to child sexual abuse material being generated online by someone using Grok AI, according to a news release from the Bentonville Police Department'; 'is charged with 100 counts of pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child and 100 counts of unlawful creation or distribution of deepfake visual material'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'was arrested on June 10 and charged with 200 counts of possessing and creating deepfake, or AI-generated, child sexual abuse material'; 'Bentonville police said he used Grok AI to generate the disturbing material, much of it created from photos he had taken of juvenile clients. According to an affidavit, a search of his phone revealed about 1,700 child sexual abuse images and videos'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Bentonville police attribute child sexual abuse material generated through Grok to the photographer, who was arrested on 10 June 2026 and charged with 200 counts; a search of his phone found about 1,700 images and videos, much of the material reportedly made from photographs of his juvenile clients.", "causal_attribution": "Bentonville police release and the probable-cause affidavit as reported by the Democrat-Gazette and KATV; the accused has pleaded not guilty." }, { "id": "c1b", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The investigation determined the account to be registered to Bloodworth'; 'Police found a hidden folder on Bloodworth's cellphone containing more than 1,700 images and videos'; '\"A few of the images I observed were overtly AI, but most appeared to be so realistic, I was not confident in assessing the origin of the photos without digital forensic laboratory supported software,\" the detective wrote'; 'Police seized more than 60 devices'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The tip was received on 8 June 2026 and the account was registered to the photographer; the 200 counts are 100 counts of pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child and 100 counts of unlawful creation or distribution of deepfake visual material and engaging children in sexually explicit conduct; a hidden folder on his phone held more than 1,700 images and videos, most appearing to be prepubescent and pubescent girls, most so realistic the detective could not assess their origin; more than 60 devices were seized.", "causal_attribution": "Probable-cause affidavit and Bentonville police release as reported by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; the accused has pleaded not guilty." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'pleaded not guilty July 20 to charges accusing him of using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material'; 'He entered his plea at an arraignment before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green'; 'He is free on $350,000 bond , but must wear a home monitoring unit and is prohibited from having contact with any children except his biological children' [sic: the space before the comma is in the source]", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "He pleaded not guilty on 20 July 2026 at arraignment before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green and is free on a $350,000 bond with a home-monitoring unit and no contact with children other than his own.", "causal_attribution": "Court reporting by the Democrat-Gazette." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Plaintiff Jane Doe is a ten-year old child whose identity was appropriated'; 'In Spring 2026, Plaintiff Jane Doe's parents, Jane and John Roe, hired a well known photographer in Bentonville, Arkansas to take family portraits of Jane Doe'; 'parents John and Jane Roe were contacted by the local police authorities, who alerted them that they received a tip that as of April 22, 2026, photographs of their daughter, Jane Doe, were being input into Grok' (paragraph 42, dated 'June 10, 2026' in the filing; the archive's text layer renders the date as 'June I0, 2026'); 'hundreds, if not thousands, of CSAM images and videos of Plaintiff Jane Doe over the course of several weeks'; 'Jane Doe and her family have suffered and will continue to suffer severe emotional'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Jane Doe now faces the permanent possibility that fabricated child sex abuse material depicting her likeness will continue to circulate online, be viewed by strangers'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s9" } ], "assertion": "The first federal complaint alleges that the plaintiff, a ten-year-old Arkansas resident, was photographed by the Bentonville photographer for family portraits in spring 2026; that police told her parents on 10 June that from about 22 April her photographs were being input into Grok, which generated hundreds if not thousands of sexual images and videos of her and thousands of other children; and that she and her family suffer severe and continuing emotional distress.", "causal_attribution": "Allegations in a court filing; documented as the contents of the complaint, not as established facts. The generation of the material is attributed by the plaintiffs to Grok and by police to the accused's use of Grok." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Jul 23, 2026 COMPLAINT with Jury Demand against All Defendants filed by Does'; 'Aug 17, 2026 AMENDED COMPLAINT'; 'Sep 15, 2026'; 'Notice of Voluntary Dismissal'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'PLAINTIFF'S FRCP 41(a)(1)(A)(i) NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE'; 'Defendants have not been served with the Complaint'; 'Civil Case No. 4:26-cv-00772'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'Civil Case No. 4:26-CV-772, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Little Rock Division'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'Civil Case No. 4:26-CV-750-LPR in the United States District Court Eastern District of Arkansas Little Rock Division'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" } ], "assertion": "Two suits were filed in the Eastern District of Arkansas, Jane Doe v. X.AI Corp. et al. (4:26-cv-750, 23 July 2026) and Jane Doe 2 v. X.AI Corp. et al. (4:26-cv-772, 29 July 2026, reassigned to the same judge); both were amended on 17 August and both dockets record a notice of voluntary dismissal filed on 15 September 2026; the second notice, the only one read, is without prejudice and states that the defendants had not been served.", "causal_attribution": "Court dockets and filings." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'xAI was sued last week after tipping off cops to a well-known Arkansas child photographer who allegedly used Grok to sexualize images he took of hundreds of clients'; 'xAI started suing users who are allegedly circumventing its safeguards to generate AI CSAM'; 'Doe's lawyer told Ars that many of those kids are preparing to file their own lawsuits'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" } ], "assertion": "xAI tipped off police about the photographer, began suing users accused of circumventing its safeguards, and argued in a Minnesota complaint that suing users shows it polices misuse; the first plaintiff's lawyer said many other children were preparing to sue.", "causal_attribution": "Ars Technica's reporting." }, { "id": "c6", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'is a nine- year old child whose identity was appropriated' (paragraph 2); 'a nine (9) year-old female who at all times relevant to this event resided in Arkansas' (paragraph 20); 'In June 2026 parents John and Jane Roe were contacted by the local police authorities, who alerted them that photographs of their daughter were being input into Grok' (paragraph 41); 'until the predator was arrested on or about June 10, 2026' (paragraph 52)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s11" } ], "assertion": "The second federal complaint alleges that the plaintiff, a nine-year-old who resided in Arkansas, was the subject of photographs that local police told her parents in June 2026 were being input into Grok, and that Grok generated images and videos of her from about 22 April 2026 until the arrest on or about 10 June 2026.", "causal_attribution": "Allegations in a court filing; documented as the contents of the complaint, not as established facts." }, { "id": "c8", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Drew Miller, Bloodworth's attorney, said at a Monday hearing he believes the United States will be involved in his client's case.'; 'Miller told Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green he is still waiting to receive full discovery from prosecutors.'; 'Police seized 60 electronic devices from Bloodworth and are still examining some of the devices, Miller said.'; 'The judge scheduled Bloodworth's next court appearance for Dec. 7.'; 'Bentonville police arrested Bloodworth, who is free on $35,000 bond, in June.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s12" } ], "assertion": "At a hearing on Monday 21 September 2026 before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green, the photographer's attorney said he believed federal authorities would become involved in the case, that he was still waiting for full discovery, and that police had seized 60 electronic devices and were still examining some; the judge scheduled the next appearance for 7 December 2026; the report describes the defendant as free on a $35,000 bond.", "causal_attribution": "Single courtroom report; the attorney's expectation of federal involvement is his statement, not an announcement by federal authorities. The bond figure conflicts with the $350,000 reported in July (s2); recorded as an unresolved discrepancy." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "juvenile clients' portrait photographs turned into sexual images and videos with Grok; more than 1,700 files found; the photographer charged on 200 counts", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "a ten-year-old client depicted in hundreds of AI-generated sexual images and videos over several weeks; severe and continuing distress alleged by her family", "claim_id": "c3", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-family-sues-xai-over-use-of-grok-to-create-deepfake-child-sex-abuse-material", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (KATV Little Rock, published 24 July 2026, updated the same day). Own reporting with police statements and an interview with the plaintiffs' lawyer.", "independence_group": "katv" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://hl.nwaonline.com/news/2026/jul/29/bentonville-photographer-pleads-not-guilty-to/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (The Herald-Leader edition of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 29 July 2026, bylined Tracy M. Neal). The article body was served above a login prompt; the probable-cause affidavit details and the plea are from this body.", "independence_group": "nwadg" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ared.153582/gov.uscourts.ared.153582.1.0.pdf", "kind": "court_document", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-21 from the RECAP archive: Jane Doe v. X.AI Corp. et al., 4:26-cv-750-LPR (E.D. Ark.), complaint filed 23 July 2026, 46 pages; pages 1-24 read (nature of the action, parties, factual allegations). A filing: allegations, not findings.", "independence_group": "complaint-750" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73663612/does-v-xai-corp/", "kind": "court_record", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (CourtListener docket for 4:26-cv-00750, last updated 19 September 2026): entries for the complaint (23 July), amended complaint (17 August) and notice of voluntary dismissal (15 September 2026).", "independence_group": "docket-750" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ared.153634/gov.uscourts.ared.153634.5.0.pdf", "kind": "court_document", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-21 from the RECAP archive: Jane Doe 2 v. X.AI Corp. et al., 4:26-cv-00772, Document 5, plaintiff's FRCP 41(a)(1)(A)(i) notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice, filed 15 September 2026 (2 pages); the docket page (CourtListener 73690979) shows the complaint of 29 July, the transfer order and the amended complaint.", "independence_group": "notice-772" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/potts-law-firm-announces-a-second-lawsuit-has-been-filed-against-xai-302839264.html", "kind": "press_release", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Potts Law Firm via PR Newswire, 30 July 2026). Plaintiffs' counsel's announcement; gives the case number 4:26-CV-772. Interested party.", "independence_group": "potts" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/potts-law-firm-files-lawsuit-against-xai-following-alleged-creation-of-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-material-302833698.html", "kind": "press_release", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Potts Law Firm via PR Newswire, 23 July 2026). Gives the case number 4:26-CV-750-LPR and describes 'Spicy' and 'Unhinged' modes. Interested party.", "independence_group": "potts" }, { "id": "s8", "url": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/07/elon-musks-xai-is-trying-to-sue-its-way-out-of-a-grok-reckoning/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Ars Technica, 29 July 2026). Own reporting on xAI's user lawsuits and Minnesota complaint; reports that xAI tipped off police and quotes the first plaintiff's lawyer.", "independence_group": "ars" }, { "id": "s9", "url": "https://www.christianpost.com/news/elon-musks-xai-sued-over-grok-creating-child-sex-abuse-content.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Christian Post, 30 July 2026). Relays KATV and quotes the complaint; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "katv" }, { "id": "s10", "url": "https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/sep/18/families-dismiss-2-lawsuits-against-xai-alleging/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 18 September 2026: 'Families dismiss 2 lawsuits against X.AI alleging child pornography creation'. Subscriber-only; only the headline and standfirst were visible on 2026-09-21 ('The plaintiffs in two lawsuits against X.AI and others have dismissed federal lawsuits alleging the artificial intelligence program created by the company used their children's photos to create child pornography'). The dismissal itself is established by s4 and s5.", "independence_group": "nwadg" }, { "id": "s11", "url": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ared.153634/gov.uscourts.ared.153634.1.0.pdf", "kind": "court_document", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-21 from the RECAP archive: Jane Doe 2 v. X.AI Corp. et al., 4:26-cv-772 (E.D. Ark.), complaint filed 29 July 2026, 49 pages; pages 1-2, 7, 13-14 and 16 read (nature of the action, parties, plaintiff-specific allegations). A filing: allegations, not findings.", "independence_group": "complaint-772" }, { "id": "s12", "url": "https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/sep/21/attorney-feds-could-get-involved-in-case-of/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 21 September 2026, bylined). Own courtroom reporting of the Monday hearing before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green; the JSON-LD description was also retained.", "independence_group": "nwadg" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "Why the two federal suits were dismissed without prejudice and whether the claims were refiled elsewhere (the Democrat-Gazette's 18 September report and its 4 August report on a Benton County suit could not be read).", "The number of children depicted.", "The bond amount: $350,000 per the July 2026 Democrat-Gazette report carried by the Herald-Leader (s2), $35,000 per the Democrat-Gazette's 21 September 2026 report (s12).", "Whether federal authorities will bring charges; the defence attorney said on 21 September 2026 that he expects federal involvement, and no federal filing has been found.", "The court, contents and status of xAI's own suit against the photographer (Democrat-Gazette, 21 August, dateline Wichita Falls, Texas; the standfirst says the company 'is suing' him; body not read).", "Which of the 1,700 files are AI-generated and which real; the detective could not determine origin without forensic tools.", "The June 2026 arrest coverage and the Bentonville police release were not read directly.", "The court, case number and status of the further federal lawsuit reported by the Democrat-Gazette on 7 August 2026 (standfirst only)." ], "geography": { "basis": "Photographs taken and the accused arrested in Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas (Herald-Leader; KATV); both plaintiffs resided in Arkansas (complaints, 4:26-cv-750 paragraph 20 and 4:26-cv-772 paragraph 20); criminal case in Benton County Circuit Court and civil suits in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (CourtListener dockets).", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an AI-generated child sexual abuse case affecting identifiable children, documented by criminal charges, a probable-cause affidavit as reported by two outlets, two federal complaints read from the court record, and docket entries showing both civil suits voluntarily dismissed without prejudice on 15 September 2026. The children are anonymous; the accused is a charged adult named in court reporting. Updated 2026-09-22 with the 21 September 2026 state-court hearing (next appearance 7 December 2026) from a live Democrat-Gazette report; no other field changed except the appended outcome and detection notes, the new source and claim, and the unknowns.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Bentonville police attribute the material to Grok (tip about material generated through Grok AI; account registered to the accused; the detective's affidavit describes AI prompts posing children and removing clothing), the criminal charges include unlawful creation of deepfake visual material, and the civil complaints allege that Grok generated the images from the plaintiffs' photographs. Ars Technica reports xAI itself made the cyber tip. Which of the 1,700 files are AI-generated is not established; the detective could not determine the origin of most without forensic tools.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Bentonville, Arkansas: a children's photographer was charged with 200 counts after police found more than 1,700 sexual images and videos of children on his phone, much of the material allegedly made with Grok from his portrait photographs of juvenile clients; two families sued xAI in federal court and later voluntarily dismissed their suits", "summary": "On 8 June 2026 Bentonville police received a tip about child sexual abuse material being generated online through Grok; the account was registered to a well-known local photographer, and a detective found images of a girl from his summer-camp photography classes that appeared to be AI prompts posing children and removing clothing. He was arrested on 10 June and charged with 100 counts of possessing sexually explicit material involving a child and 100 counts under Arkansas' deepfake and child-exploitation provisions; a hidden folder on his phone held more than 1,700 images and videos, most of prepubescent and pubescent girls, most so realistic the detective could not tell their origin, and more than 60 devices were seized. He pleaded not guilty on 20 July 2026 and is free on a $350,000 bond with home monitoring. Two federal lawsuits against xAI followed in the Eastern District of Arkansas on behalf of a ten-year-old former client (filed 23 July) and a nine-year-old girl (filed 29 July): the first complaint says her parents hired the photographer in spring 2026 for family portraits and were told by police on 10 June that from about 22 April her photographs had been fed into Grok to generate hundreds if not thousands of sexual images and videos, and that thousands more depicted other children; it faults Grok's marketed 'Spicy Mode'. Both plaintiffs filed notices of voluntary dismissal on 15 September 2026; the second notice, the only one read, is without prejudice and says the defendants had not been served, and neither docket shows a return of service. Local reporting says a Benton County state-court suit and a further federal suit were filed in August and that xAI, which says it made the cyber tip, sued the photographer, but those reports could not be read in full. The criminal case continues.", "incidentDate": "2026-04-22", "incidentEndDate": "2026-06-10", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-07-23", "aiSystem": "Grok / Grok Imagine (xAI) image and video generation, including the marketed 'Spicy Mode'", "aiCompany": "xAI (X.AI Corp., X.AI LLC and X Corp. as sued)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Real children's portrait photographs were turned into sexual images and videos with Grok; the first complaint alleges hundreds if not thousands of such files of a ten-year-old and says she and her family suffer severe and continuing emotional distress and the permanent fear of the material circulating (complaint; Christian Post quoting it). Police describe more than 1,700 files, much of the material reportedly made from photographs of his juvenile clients (KATV). The harm to the children is documented in the charges and the complaint; xAI's responsibility is alleged and the civil suits were voluntarily dismissed.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "Two depicted children are individually documented: the ten-year-old plaintiff in 4:26-cv-750 (complaint) and the nine-year-old plaintiff in 4:26-cv-772 (complaint, paragraphs 2 and 20). Police describe more than 1,700 files, much of the material reportedly made from photographs of juvenile clients and the complaint alleges thousands of files of other children, but no count of depicted children is reported. Partial: 2 counted plus an unquantified number of other children.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-AR", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-family-sues-xai-over-use-of-grok-to-create-deepfake-child-sex-abuse-material", "primarySourceLabel": "KATV, 24 July 2026: Arkansas family sues xAI over use of Grok to create deepfake child sex abuse material (arrest, 200 counts, 1,700 files, families notified by police)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-03T06:21:58.940526+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "csam", "deepfake", "minor", "photographer", "lawsuit", "criminal", "arkansas", "bentonville", "us", "depicted", "voluntary-dismissal" ] }, { "id": "2026-ahmedabad-ai-morphed-images", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'for allegedly creating multiple fake social media accounts and uploading AI-generated morphed obscene images and videos of an Ahmedabad woman and her mother after she rejected his friendship request, according to a statement issued by the cybercrime police'; 'between Dec 2025 and April 2026'; 'forensic examination of the accused’s phone revealed the existence of eight to ten fake social media accounts created in the complainant’s name'; 'generated more than 100 AI-morphed images of the victim using various online tools and websites'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'created at least three separate fake Instagram IDs and a YouTube channel in her name and uploaded obscene morphed photos of herself and her mother'; 'He then searched “AI Remove Clothes” on Google and uploaded these photographs on various websites. Using AI tools, he created morphed nude photographs and nude videos and uploaded them on these fake IDs. He also wrote obscene text and mentally harassed the complainant.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'uploaded over 100 AI-generated nude photos and videos of her and her mother on social media platforms and YouTube channels'; 'He searched for AI Remove Clothes tools on Google and used different websites to create morphed nude images and videos'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'In total, he created over a hundred fake videos and images related to the victim, and within those six months, he created 8 to 10 fake social media accounts impersonating the complainant.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'Eight to 10 more fake social media accounts in the complainant's name were found on his mobile phone. Investigation revealed that the accused had created over 100 AI-morphed pornographic images'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "Between December 2025 and April 2026 the accused, after the woman declined his friendship, created fake accounts in her name (initially three Instagram accounts and a YouTube channel; eight to ten found across X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube on forensic examination of his phone), downloaded photographs of her and her mother, used \"AI remove clothes\" websites to produce morphed obscene images and videos of the two women, and posted them on the fake accounts with obscene captions; police say more than 100 AI-morphed images of the complainant were found (India Today and ANI put the figure as over 100 photos and videos of her and her mother).", "causal_attribution": "Police allegations from the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch (written statement, DCP briefing, ACP interview, officer quoted by ThePrint); the accused has not been tried." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Based on the complaint, the person was booked in an FIR on April 6.'; 'A month-and-a-half later, the team apprehended'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'registered under Sections 78(2) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66(C) and 67 of the Information Technology Act'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch after investigators tracked him through technical surveillance and human intelligence inputs'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'tracked him down in Delhi and arrested him on Wednesday under its new initiative, Mission Cyber Rakshika'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'A police team subsequently travelled to Delhi and arrested him there.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "The woman complained to the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police Station; an FIR was registered on 6 April 2026 under Sections 78(2) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66(C) and 67 of the Information Technology Act; police traced the accused through technical surveillance and human intelligence and arrested him at his home in north-east Delhi (announced 28 May 2026, the arrest reported as the previous day) under the Branch's \"Mission Cyber Rakshika\" initiative.", "causal_attribution": "Police statements; the FIR date is reported by the Indian Express only." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'He told her that he would ensure he reports these accounts, so nobody troubles her. He was just manipulating her, and trying to gain her sympathy,” said an officer probing the matter.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" }, { "locator": "'After doing this, he would contact the victim, assuring her that he would get her account reinstated. This went on for a total of five to six months'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" } ], "assertion": "The woman had confided in the accused about the fake accounts; police say he told her to keep quiet, claimed he was reporting the accounts and would get them removed, and manipulated her for sympathy for five to six months before the complaint.", "causal_attribution": "Police officers quoted by ThePrint and the DCP quoted by ANI." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The woman claimed she was “mentally harassed and defamed in the society, since her nude photographs and videos morphed with AI, with obscene texts written over it, are being shared online (sic),” a senior police officer from Ahmedabad Crime Branch’s Cyber Crime unit told ThePrint.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" }, { "locator": "'Police said the posts caused deep mental trauma and public humiliation for both the woman and her mother.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" } ], "assertion": "The complainant told police she was mentally harassed and defamed in society by the morphed images; police said the posts caused deep mental trauma and public humiliation for her and her mother.", "causal_attribution": "The complainant's account as relayed by police; no independent impact evidence." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'He also utilised AI to generate videos and explicit images, not only of the victim but also of her mother and maternal aunt, and posted them on these accounts'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'uploaded obscene morphed photos of herself and her mother'", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The DCP said the AI images also depicted the woman's maternal aunt; the written police statement and the other reports mention only the woman and her mother.", "causal_attribution": "DCP briefing to ANI only." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "AI-morphed obscene images and videos of a woman and her mother (more than 100 images found) posted for months on fake accounts impersonating the woman", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "the complainant reported mental harassment and defamation; police said both women suffered trauma and public humiliation", "claim_id": "c4", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/delhi-man-posts-100-obscene-ai-created-photos-of-ahmedabad-woman/articleshow/131377083.cms", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Times of India, Ahmedabad, TNN, 29 May 2026 edition, live). Reports the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch statement.", "independence_group": "cyber-crime-branch-statement" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/delhi-man-ai-morph-pictures-videos-gujarat-woman-social-media-10712944/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403). Indian Express Ahmedabad, 28 May 2026; quotes the Cyber Crime Branch statement verbatim and gives the FIR date.", "independence_group": "cyber-crime-branch-statement" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/gujarat-cyber-crime-branch-arrests-man-for-uploading-obscene-photos-videos-of-woman-and-her-mother-on-social-media-enn26052806767", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (ETV Bharat, 28 May 2026, live). Same statement, with the investigating inspector quoted.", "independence_group": "cyber-crime-branch-statement" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/gujarat/over-100-ai-morphed-photos-fake-idsdelhi-man-held-for-online-harassment-of-ahmedabad-woman-mother-32482827453", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Gujarat Samachar English, 28 May 2026, live). IANS wire text of the same statement, also carried by The Statesman, Asia News Network, Mangalorean and others.", "independence_group": "cyber-crime-branch-statement" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-priest-creates-nudes-of-woman-using-ai-after-she-refuses-to-be-friends-on-instagram-11558612", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403). NDTV, 28 May 2026, citing IANS; gives the arrest day.", "independence_group": "cyber-crime-branch-statement" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ai-generated-nude-photos-delhi-man-held-ahmedabad-influencer-mother-2918567-2026-05-28", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (India Today, bylined, 28 May 2026, live). Quotes the Cyber Crime Branch ACP directly.", "independence_group": "india-today-acp" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/ahmedabad-police-under-mission-cyber-rakshika-arrests-27-year-old-delhi-based-religious-preacher-for-creating-fake-profile-of-gujarat-woman20260529083631/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (ANI, 29 May 2026, live). On-camera briefing by the Ahmedabad DCP; copied by Asianet Newsable.", "independence_group": "ani-dcp-briefing" }, { "id": "s8", "url": "https://theprint.in/india/gujarat-womans-spiritual-friend-turns-stalker-held-for-posting-her-morphed-photos-online-for-months/2944720/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture of 1 June 2026 (live page answers a JavaScript challenge). ThePrint, bylined, 29 May 2026; quotes a senior Cyber Crime officer and investigators.", "independence_group": "theprint-officer" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "relationships", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The AI websites or tools used are not named.", "The complainant's age: 24 (Indian Express) or 21 (ThePrint).", "Whether the maternal aunt was depicted (DCP briefing to ANI only).", "Whether the more-than-100 figure counts images only (police statement) or images and videos (India Today, ANI).", "Any charge sheet, bail decision or trial outcome; nothing later than 1 June 2026 was found.", "How far the material spread and whether the platforms removed it." ], "geography": { "basis": "Complainant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat; FIR at the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police Station; accused arrested in north-east Delhi (all sources). No court proceeding is reported in the inspected sources.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact and impersonation case with identified (unnamed) depicted victims, a registered FIR and an arrest. Four police briefings read across separate outlets, all originating with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch; claims recorded as reported. Original ID and first-publication timestamp preserved; incident dates corrected to the harassment period.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Cyber Crime Branch statement says the accused searched \"AI Remove Clothes\", uploaded the photographs to such websites and produced morphed images and videos with AI tools; police say forensic examination of his phone found more than 100 AI-morphed images. The specific tools are not named and the finding is a police allegation pending trial. The artifacts depicted the women and the fake accounts impersonated the complainant; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Ahmedabad, Gujarat: a 27-year-old Delhi man was arrested for posting AI-morphed obscene images and videos of a young woman and her mother (more than 100 images found) on fake accounts in her name after she declined his friendship, while posing as the friend reporting the fake accounts for her", "summary": "On 28 May 2026 the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch announced the arrest in north-east Delhi of a 27-year-old man who posts religious discourse videos online. Police allege that after meeting a young Ahmedabad woman with a public social-media profile through religious conversations on Instagram and being refused friendship, he stalked her online from December 2025 to April 2026, created fake accounts in her name (three Instagram accounts and a YouTube channel at first; eight to ten across X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube were found on his phone), downloaded photographs of her and her mother, used websites found by searching \"AI remove clothes\" to generate morphed obscene images and videos of the two women, and posted them with obscene captions to damage her reputation; investigators say more than 100 AI-morphed images of the complainant were found. Officers told ThePrint and ANI that she had confided in him about the accounts and that he told her to keep quiet and claimed to be reporting the accounts and getting hers reinstated. She complained to the Cyber Crime Police Station; an FIR was registered on 6 April 2026 under BNS Sections 78(2) and 356(2) and IT Act Sections 66(C) and 67, and the accused was traced through technical surveillance and arrested under the Branch's \"Mission Cyber Rakshika\" campaign. The complainant said she was mentally harassed and defamed; the DCP said the images also depicted her maternal aunt. Further investigation was under way; no charge sheet or court outcome was found.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-01", "incidentEndDate": "2026-04-06", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-05-28", "aiSystem": "Web-based AI \"remove clothes\" image-manipulation tools found via Google search (not named); used to morph photographs into obscene images and videos", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A young woman and her mother were depicted in AI-morphed obscene images and videos (more than 100 images found by police) posted for months on fake accounts impersonating the woman; she told police she was mentally harassed and defamed, and police said both women suffered trauma and public humiliation. The accused was arrested and booked; the case is pending.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Two depicted people are reported in every chain: the complainant (also impersonated) and her mother. The DCP told ANI that a maternal aunt was also depicted, which no other source repeats, so the count is a documented minimum of 2. The accused is not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/delhi-man-posts-100-obscene-ai-created-photos-of-ahmedabad-woman/articleshow/131377083.cms", "primarySourceLabel": "The Times of India (Ahmedabad), 29 May 2026: Delhi man creates fake accounts and uploads 100 obscene AI-generated photos of Ahmedabad woman (Cyber Crime Branch statement)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-15T07:52:26.434751+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-undressing", "ncii", "impersonation", "stalking", "harassment", "india", "gujarat", "ahmedabad", "arrest", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-bhopal-ai-images-blackmail-suicide", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A 17-year-old Class 11 student allegedly died by suicide at her house in Bhopal's Aishbagh area on Thursday night'; 'The girl was found hanging inside her room after she allegedly sent her younger sister outside on some pretext. Family members rushed her down and attempted to save her, but she already died by then. Her body was sent for post-mortem examination on Friday.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'भोपाल के ऐशबाग इलाके में 11वीं कक्षा की 17 वर्षीय छात्रा ने गुरुवार रात घर में फांसी लगाकर आत्महत्या कर ली'; 'उसने छोटी बहन को सामान लेने के बहाने बाहर भेजा। इसी दौरान उसने कमरे में दुपट्टे का फंदा बनाकर फांसी लगा ली'; 'पोस्टमॉर्टम के बाद शुक्रवार दोपहर परिजन शव लेकर सीधे ऐशबाग थाने पहुंचे'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "On Thursday night, 14 May 2026, a 17-year-old Class 11 student was found hanging in her room at the family home in Bhopal's Aishbagh area after sending her younger sister outside on a pretext; relatives brought her down but she had died; the body was sent for post-mortem on Friday.", "causal_attribution": "Death and circumstances reported by two outlets from the family and police; Thursday before the Friday post-mortem of 15 May is 14 May 2026." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'family members accusing two youths of harassing and blackmailing her using morphed obscene photographs allegedly created with the help of artificial intelligence tools'; 'two youths from the Chhola area were threatening to circulate edited obscene images prepared using photographs taken from her social media accounts'; 'the accused allegedly were stalking the girl while she travelled to and from school and were pressuring her to meet them'; 'the girl never personally interacted with the youths and that the images were digitally manipulated using AI tools'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'चाचा के मुताबिक, आरोपियों ने सोशल मीडिया से छात्रा की तस्वीरें लेकर एआई की मदद से अश्लील फोटो तैयार किए थे। इन्हें वायरल करने और बदनाम करने की धमकी देकर वे छात्रा पर दबाव बनाते थे'; 'छात्रा की आरोपियों से कभी सीधी मुलाकात तक नहीं हुई थी'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "The family alleged that two young men harassed her for weeks, stalked her to and from school, pressured her to meet them and threatened to circulate obscene images made from her social-media photographs with AI tools, and said she had never met them in person.", "causal_attribution": "The family's allegations as reported by two outlets; not confirmed by police at the time of reporting." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'As of now a case of unnatural death has been registered and based on the statement of kin and the evidence further course of action will be decided'; 'Aishbagh police station in-charge Sandeep Pawar told TOI. Police said no suicide note was recovered from the spot.'; 'relatives, who gathered at Aishbagh police station on Friday, demanding strict action against the accused'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'ऐशबाग टीआई संदीप पवार ने बताया कि मौके से कोई सुसाइड नोट नहीं मिला है। घरवालों के बयान दर्ज किए जा रहे हैं, जिसके आधार पर आगे की कार्रवाई तय होगी'; 'परिजनों ने शुक्रवार को ऐशबाग थाने का घेराव किया'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Aishbagh police registered an unnatural-death case; the station in-charge said no suicide note was recovered, that the family's statements were being recorded (Dainik Bhaskar) or yet to be recorded (Times of India) and that further action would be decided on the statements and evidence; relatives protested at the police station after the post-mortem demanding action against the accused.", "causal_attribution": "Police statements to both outlets." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'चाचा के मुताबिक, आरोपियों ने सोशल मीडिया से छात्रा की तस्वीरें लेकर एआई की मदद से अश्लील फोटो तैयार किए थे'; 'परिवार का दावा है कि आरोपियों ने छात्रा के पिता से भी बदसलूकी की थी, लेकिन बदनामी के डर से पहले पुलिस में शिकायत नहीं की गई'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'The uncle claimed that the student had informed her parents about the harassment earlier'; 'Family members had reportedly tried to reason with the accused, but they allegedly misbehaved with the girl's father as well'; 'One of them lives in the Chhola area, while the other is from the victim's neighbourhood'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'two youths from the Chhola area were threatening to circulate edited obscene images'", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Her uncle told Dainik Bhaskar that one accused lives in the Chhola area and the other in her neighbourhood (the Times of India describes both as from Chhola), that she had told her parents about the harassment, that the men misbehaved with her father when the family tried to reason with them, and that the family had not complained earlier for fear of defamation.", "causal_attribution": "Family allegations carried by Dainik Bhaskar only; the Times of India differs on the accused's localities." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a 17-year-old died by hanging after, her family says, weeks of stalking and blackmail with obscene images made from her photographs with AI tools", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "threats to circulate AI-made obscene images, stalking and pressure to meet, as alleged by the family", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/class-11-girl-dies-by-suicide-after-harassment-blackmail-by-2-youth-using-ai-images/articleshow/131126861.cms", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Times of India, Bhopal, published 16 May 2026 00:35 IST, bylined). Own reporting: family allegations and the Aishbagh station in-charge quoted directly.", "independence_group": "toi" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.bhaskar.com/g/local/mp/bhopal/news/bhopal-11th-student-suicide-blackmail-threat-137941035.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "hi", "translation_note": "Read live in Hindi on 2026-09-21 (Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal, published 15 May 2026 14:22 IST, updated 18:13). Own reporting quoting the uncle and the station in-charge. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "dainik-bhaskar" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/mp/bhopal/news/bhopal-youths-blackmail-student-suicide-protest-police-station-137942433.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (Dainik Bhaskar English, published 15 May 2026 17:18 IST). English version of the same Bhaskar reporting; grouped with s2.", "independence_group": "dainik-bhaskar" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.ibc24.in/videos/bhopal-student-suicide-news-11th-grade-student-commits-suicide-by-hanging-troubled-by-blackmailing-she-committed-suicide-3596570.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "IBC24 video page cited by the historical record; answered HTTP 403 on 2026-09-21 and the Internet Archive CDX service was offline. Not relied on.", "independence_group": "ibc24" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy", "justice", "education" ], "unknowns": [ "Whether the images were in fact made with AI tools: no police, forensic or platform confirmation was reported.", "Bhaskar English also reports the family saying the accused possessed AI-generated obscene photos and videos of her; no other source mentions videos.", "Whether the accused were identified, questioned or arrested, and whether an FIR was registered against them after the family's statements.", "The AI tool used and where the images were sent or posted.", "No later coverage of the investigation was found on 2026-09-21." ], "geography": { "basis": "Death at the family home in the Aishbagh area of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; case registered at Aishbagh police station (Times of India; Dainik Bhaskar). No court proceeding reported.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case involving a minor's death. Three bodies read across two independent reporting chains (Times of India; Dainik Bhaskar Hindi and English), both confirming the death through the station in-charge and both reporting the family's allegation of AI-made images, which meets the two-independent-sources rule for the death and the reported AI connection; the AI use and the causal link remain the family's allegations. The girl, her family and the accused are not named in this record.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-21" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The family, including the girl's uncle, told the Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar that the two accused made obscene images from her social-media photographs using AI tools and threatened to circulate them. No police statement, seized image or forensic finding confirming AI use was reported; the police said the family's statements were still being recorded. The artifacts depicted the girl; no AI system interacted with her.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: a 17-year-old Class 11 student died by hanging at home on 14 May 2026; her family told police that two young men had stalked her and blackmailed her with obscene images made from her social-media photographs with AI tools", "summary": "On the night of Thursday 14 May 2026 a 17-year-old Class 11 student was found hanging in her room at the family home in Bhopal's Aishbagh area after sending her younger sister out on a pretext; relatives brought her down but she had died. Her family told the Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar that two young men (both from the Chhola area according to the Times of India; one from Chhola and one from her neighbourhood according to Dainik Bhaskar) had harassed her for weeks, stalked her to and from school, pressured her to meet them, and threatened to circulate obscene images of her that they had made with AI tools from photographs taken from her social-media accounts; the family said she had never met them in person; they also told Dainik Bhaskar that she had told her parents, that the men had misbehaved with her father when the family tried to reason with them, and that fear of social defamation had kept them from going to the police earlier. The Aishbagh police station in-charge said an unnatural-death case had been registered, no suicide note was found, the family's statements were being recorded and further action would follow; investigators were expected to examine her phone and social-media accounts. After the post-mortem on 15 May relatives took the body to the police station and demanded action against the accused. No arrest or later development was found in this review.", "incidentDate": "2026-05-14", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-05-15", "aiSystem": "AI image-manipulation tools, not named in any inspected report; AI use is the family's allegation", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old died by hanging after, according to her family, weeks of stalking and blackmail with obscene images made from her photographs with AI tools; the family attributes her death to that harassment. Police registered an unnatural-death case and said the cause could not yet be confirmed. Causation is the family's allegation.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One depicted person, the girl who died (all inspected reports). Her family members are not counted; the two accused are alleged perpetrators. Exact 1.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/class-11-girl-dies-by-suicide-after-harassment-blackmail-by-2-youth-using-ai-images/articleshow/131126861.cms", "primarySourceLabel": "The Times of India (Bhopal), 16 May 2026: Class 11 girl dies by suicide after harassment, blackmail by 2 youth using AI images", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-15T06:54:55.51261+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "blackmail", "stalking", "minor", "suicide", "death", "india", "madhya-pradesh", "bhopal", "depicted", "image-based-abuse" ] }, { "id": "2026-catania-school-deepnude-csam", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Un bidello 58enne residente in provincia di Catania, dove lavorava come collaboratore scolastico all’interno di un istituto d’istruzione secondaria, è stato arrestato perché gravemente indiziato di detenzione di ingente materiale pedopornografico.'; 'che hanno determinato l’arresto in flagranza di reato, convalidato dal gip di Catania. L’uomo è ora ai domiciliari.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'che hanno determinato l’arresto, convalidato dal Giudice per le indagini preliminari. L’uomo è ora ai domiciliari.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'After a validation hearing before the preliminary investigations judge, the 58-year-old was placed under house arrest.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "A 58-year-old resident of the province of Catania, employed as a collaboratore scolastico at a secondary school, was arrested in flagrante delicto on suspicion of possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material; the preliminary investigations judge of Catania validated the arrest and he was placed under house arrest.", "causal_attribution": "Police and prosecutor release of 14 March 2026 as carried by every inspected outlet; single chain." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'L’indagato, inoltre, era in possesso di diverse foto digitali scattate all’interno dei locali scolastici con alunne minorenni, alcune delle quali realizzate a loro insaputa. Le immagini erano state successivamente modificate con programmi di intelligenza artificiale, rinvenuti all’interno dei dispositivi sequestrati, in modo da denudare le minori (deep-nude) posizionandole accanto all’immagine dell’indagato.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'In several files, the minors were artificially stripped naked and placed next to the suspect's image, creating photographic montages that simulated shots taken together.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'He unknowingly photographed the students of a middle school in the province of Catania, where he worked as a school assistant, and then edited the resulting images using artificial intelligence, stripping them naked (deep nude) and making them appear next to him, as if the shot had been taken while they were together.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" } ], "assertion": "On the suspect's devices investigators found several digital photographs of underage female students taken inside the school where he worked, some without the girls' knowledge, which had been altered with artificial-intelligence programs found on the seized devices to make the minors appear naked ('deep-nude') and to place them beside the suspect's own image, as if photographed together.", "causal_attribution": "Police description of the seized material; single chain; no student account." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'trae origine da una segnalazione della organizzazione non governativa statunitense National Centre for Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC) al Centro Nazionale di Contrasto della Pedopornografia On-line (CNCPO) del Servizio Polizia Postale di Roma che ha trasmesso la nota alla Polizia Postale di Catania per gli approfondimenti investigativi'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'è stato rinvenuto un ingente quantitativo di immagini e video pedopornografici anche con vittime in età infantile o con scene di zoerastia'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'Gli specialisti cyber proseguono ora l’analisi tecnica sui supporti informatici per verificare l’eventuale diffusione dei contenuti manipolati in rete o l’esistenza di ulteriori vittime.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "The investigation began with a report by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to the Postal Police's national centre in Rome, forwarded to Catania; the seized material included images and videos with child victims and bestiality; analysis continued to check whether the manipulated images were distributed online and whether there are further victims.", "causal_attribution": "Police release as carried; single chain." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "underage students photographed at their school, some without their knowledge, and depicted naked in AI-altered images placed beside the suspect", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.rainews.it/tgr/sicilia/articoli/2026/03/foto-di-minori-e-alunne-denudate-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia-a65535c8-1a52-40b6-aaa0-4b2b048bc370.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "it", "translation_note": "Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (RaiNews TGR Sicilia, 14 March 2026). Carries the Polizia Postale / Procura release. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.cataniatoday.it/cronaca/polizia-postale-arresta-bidello-pedofilo.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "it", "translation_note": "Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (CataniaToday, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://meridionews.it/bidello-arrestato-catanese-pedopornografia/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "it", "translation_note": "Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (MeridioNews, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.cataniaoggi.it/catania/catania-arrestato-collaboratore-scolastico-detenzione-di-materiale-pedopornografico-e-deep-nude-di-minori-14-03-2026", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "it", "translation_note": "Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (Cataniaoggi.it, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://en.lamilano.it/Catania/Catania%3A-School-worker-arrested-for-photographing-students-and-creating-deep-nude-images-with-artificial-intelligence/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (La Milano English edition, 14 March 2026). Same release, rewritten in English; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.unionesarda.it/en/italy/janitor-photographed-middle-school-students-and-undressed-them-with-ai-qzoxp221", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (L'Unione Sarda English edition, 14 March 2026). Same release plus a comment from the Meter association; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://www.fanpage.it/attualita/fotografa-di-nascosto-le-studentesse-a-scuola-e-le-denuda-con-lia-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "it", "translation_note": "Read in Italian on 2026-09-22 from an Internet Archive capture (Fanpage, 14 March 2026; live page not fetched). Same release; grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "polizia-postale-release" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The number of students photographed and depicted.", "The arrest date; the release was reported on 14 March 2026.", "Whether the AI-altered images were distributed online, and whether the students or their families were informed.", "Whether a separate charge covers the AI-altered images; the reports state possession of CSAM as the ground of arrest.", "The programs used.", "Any development after March 2026; none was found on 2026-09-22." ], "geography": { "basis": "Middle school in the province of Catania, Sicily; arrest validated by the preliminary investigations judge (GIP) of Catania; investigation by the Procura di Catania and the Catania Postal Police (all inspected reports).", "court_countries": [ "IT" ], "event_countries": [ "IT" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IT" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case involving minors at a school, documented by a Postal Police and prosecutor release carried by seven outlets (single reporting chain, recorded as such). Not a death case. Nobody is named; the school is not identified.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Postal Police and the Catania prosecutor's office state that AI programs found on the seized devices were used to alter the students' photographs (deep-nude) and to place them beside the suspect's image. The programs are not named and no forensic report is public. The artifacts depicted the students; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Province of Catania, Sicily: a 58-year-old school assistant at a middle school was arrested for possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material; on his devices police found photographs of underage female students taken inside the school, some without their knowledge, altered with AI 'deep-nude' programs to show them naked beside his own image", "summary": "Reports published on 14 March 2026, carrying a Postal Police account of an investigation coordinated by the Catania prosecutor's office, describe the arrest, in flagrante delicto, of a 58-year-old collaboratore scolastico (school assistant) at a secondary school (scuola media) in the province of Catania, on suspicion of possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material. The preliminary investigations judge validated the arrest and placed him under house arrest. The investigation began with a report by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to the Postal Police's national centre in Rome, forwarded to Catania, whose cyber specialists identified the man; a search ordered by the prosecutor found images and videos including child victims and bestiality. Investigators also found on his devices digital photographs of underage female students taken inside the school where he worked, some without the girls' knowledge, which had been altered with artificial-intelligence programs found on the seized devices to make the minors appear naked ('deep-nude') and to place them beside the suspect's own image, as if photographed together. Analysis of the devices continued to establish whether the manipulated images were distributed online and whether there are further victims. The number of students depicted is not reported. No later development was found on 2026-09-22.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-03-14", "aiSystem": "AI image-manipulation ('deep-nude') programs found on the seized devices, not named", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Underage students were photographed at their school, some without their knowledge, and depicted naked in AI-altered images placed beside the suspect's own image; the images were found on his devices, and whether they were distributed is still being checked. Attribution rests on the police account of the seized material; no student account has been published.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The police speak of 'diverse foto digitali' of 'alunne minorenni' and La Milano of 'several underage students'; no number is given. Unquantified, with zero placeholders.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.rainews.it/tgr/sicilia/articoli/2026/03/foto-di-minori-e-alunne-denudate-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia-a65535c8-1a52-40b6-aaa0-4b2b048bc370.html", "primarySourceLabel": "RaiNews TGR Sicilia, 14 March 2026: Foto di minori e alunne denudate: arrestato bidello per pedopornografia", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-14T16:49:52.737406+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "deep-nude", "ai-generated-imagery", "csam", "minor", "school", "italy", "sicily", "catania", "polizia-postale", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2026-brazil-influencer-ai-sexualized-minors", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Influenciador digital usou ferramentas de IA para inserir fotos de jovens evangélicas da Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) em vídeos com conotação sexual dentro das igrejas da entidade.'; 'O material foi publicado nas redes sociais do influencer, onde ele soma quase 50 mil seguidores.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Um influenciador digital é investigado pela Polícia Civil de São Paulo sob suspeita de usar inteligência artificial para manipular imagens de jovens evangélicas, sem consentimento, criando vídeos com conteúdos sexualizados. As manipulações eram divulgadas em perfis nas redes sociais.'; 'O caso foi inicialmente divulgado pelo g1 e confirmado pela Folha.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'Pego a foto, as irmãs postando de costas, e jogo na IA. A IA faz dançar'; 'Disse que retirou as imagens de perfis públicos em redes sociais e que não sabia que algumas das pessoas retratadas eram adolescentes.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'publicadas em perfis dele no Instagram, no TikTok e no YouTube'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "A digital influencer manipulated, without consent, photographs of young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil into videos with sexual connotation using AI ('deepfake') tools and published them on his social-media profiles, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; he admitted in his own recordings that he takes the congregants' photographs and puts them into an AI that makes them dance.", "causal_attribution": "Reported by g1 from the police and the victims, confirmed by Folha, and admitted by the influencer in his own recordings and police statement." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Ele pegou a minha foto sem autorização e fez uma montagem com inteligência artificial, com as mulheres sensualizando na frente e [comigo] junto a elas'; 'Eu sou muito envergonhada, então não queria ter sido exposta. Eu tomo cuidado e também fico com medo disso afetar meu convívio social'; 'Eu não tirei mais nenhuma [fotografia]. Eu não tirei mais de mim.'; 'O caso veio à tona em fevereiro, quando a jovem e os pais procuraram a 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher (DDM), em São Mateus, Zona Leste da capital paulista.'; 'A família entrou com ação na Justiça pedindo indenização por dano moral.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'após uma adolescente de 16 anos, vítima do influenciador em uma das publicações, denunciar o caso à 8ª Delegacia da Defesa da Mulher (DDM) de São Paulo'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "A 16-year-old congregant told g1 that her photograph, taken in 2025 in front of the altar of a CCB church, had been used without authorisation in an AI montage placing her beside women in sensual poses; she said she was very shy and had not wanted to be exposed, feared the effect on her social life and had stopped taking photographs of herself; she and her parents had gone to the 8ª DDM in February 2026 and the family filed a civil action for moral damages.", "causal_attribution": "The girl's and her family's account to g1; Metrópoles confirms the 16-year-old's complaint to the 8ª DDM. g1's 15 May report describes the first complainant as also 17, a discrepancy recorded in unknowns." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A Polícia Civil de São Paulo investiga o caso.'; 'O inquérito, que começou na 8ª DDM da capital, foi encaminhado'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'A ocorrência foi registrada na 8ª DDM (Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher) da capital e posteriormente encaminhada à Delegacia de Polícia de Lençóis Paulistas, responsável pela área onde teriam ocorrido os fatos.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'O Metrópoles apurou que a investigação é feita por meio de um inquérito policial que foi direcionado às autoridades de Lençóis Paulista, no interior de São Paulo, por determinação judicial.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "The São Paulo Civil Police investigate the influencer; the inquiry was registered at the 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher in São Paulo and sent to the police of Lençóis Paulista by judicial order.", "causal_attribution": "The investigation and the transfer to Lençóis Paulista are reported by g1 and confirmed by Folha and Metrópoles; Folha frames the transfer by where the facts occurred, g1 by where the suspect lives." }, { "id": "c3b", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'conforme o artigo 241-C do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA), cuja pena varia de 1 a 3 anos de reclusão, além de multa. A polícia também apura se ele cometeu difamação em relação a outras jovens expostas.'; 'à 2ª Vara da Comarca de Lençóis Paulista, no interior do estado, onde o investigado mora. O pedido foi feito pelo Ministério Público (MP).'; 'A gente está investigando esse caso de deepfake. Houve uma simulação dessas imagens dessas meninas, algumas delas adolescentes'; 'pede que outras jovens expostas pelo influencer também procurem à delegacia'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "g1 reports that he is investigated under article 241-C of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (one to three years plus a fine) and for possible defamation of other young women exposed; that the transfer to the 2ª Vara of Lençóis Paulista, where he lives, was ordered by the 1ª Vara de Crimes Praticados contra Crianças e Adolescentes at the Ministério Público's request; and that the delegada of the 8ª DDM said some identified victims were adolescents and asked others to come forward.", "causal_attribution": "g1's reporting of the police and court steps; single chain for these details." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'O boletim de ocorrência mais recente foi registrado em 30 de abril, pela mãe da adolescente, na 4ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher (DDM) Norte, após a divulgação da reportagem do g1 sobre o caso.'; 'A divulgação na internet afetou a garota psicologicamente.'; 'outras jovens evangélicas da CCB tiveram suas imagens expostas sem autorização, mas o número total de vítimas ainda está sendo apurado.'; 'também é investigado por difamação, já que há vítimas adultas que aparecem nos vídeos manipulados com deep fake'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "On 30 April 2026 the mother of a second adolescent, aged 17, registered a police report at the 4ª DDM Norte; g1 reported that the online exposure had affected the girl psychologically, that the influencer was also investigated for defamation of adult women in the videos, and that the total number of victims was still being established.", "causal_attribution": "g1's report of the second complaint; the psychological effect is g1's statement without an attributed speaker." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A defesa enfatiza que as publicações realizadas em suas redes sociais tinham o intuito estrito de sátira e crítica de costumes, inseridas em um contexto de humor. Em nenhum momento houve a intenção de promover exploração sexual, pornografia ou qualquer ato que atentasse contra a dignidade sexual das pessoas mencionadas'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'alegou que as publicações foram feitas em um “contexto de humor”, sem a intenção de atentar contra a dignidade sexual das vítimas.'; 'realizou uma retratação pública, pedindo desculpas às jovens, às famílias e à comunidade da Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) por qualquer constrangimento ou sofrimento causado'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "Through his lawyer the influencer said the publications were satire and criticism of customs in a context of humour, without intent of sexual exploitation, that he did not know the ages of those depicted, and that he had expressed regret and made a public retraction apologising to the young women, their families and the CCB.", "causal_attribution": "The defence note was sent to both g1 and Metrópoles." }, { "id": "c5b", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Pego a foto, as irmãs postando de costas, e jogo na IA. A IA faz dançar'; 'Eu peço perdão a todos que se sentiram ofendidos. Eu prometo ser mais cauteloso'; 'declarou apoiar a adoção de medidas legais cabíveis pelas autoridades'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'negou ter vinculado a imagem da adolescente a fotografias de mulheres com pouca vestimenta ou a qualquer conteúdo sexualizado ou pornográfico'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "g1 reports that he admitted in his own earlier recordings and in his police statement that he takes the congregants' photographs and animates them with AI, that he posted an apology video, and that the CCB said it supports the legal measures taken by the authorities; in his police statement he also denied linking the adolescent's image to scantily dressed women or any sexualised content and said he had taken her for an adult.", "causal_attribution": "g1's reporting of his recordings, statement and video; the CCB note as given to g1." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a 16-year-old depicted in an AI-made sexualised video: embarrassment, fear for her social life, stopped taking photographs of herself", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "a 17-year-old reported to be psychologically affected by the video made from her photograph", "claim_id": "c4", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "young women and adolescent girls of a church inserted without consent into sexualised videos posted to tens of thousands of followers", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/22/pegou-foto-sem-autorizacao-diz-evangelica-de-16-anos-vitima-de-influencer-que-usou-ia-para-sexualizar-sua-imagem-em-igreja.ghtml", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 22 April 2026, updated 23 April). Own reporting: the 16-year-old and her parents, another congregant, the delegada, the family's lawyer, experts. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "g1" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/24/influencer-investigado-por-videos-sexualizados-de-evangelicas-com-ia-diz-que-usou-humor-para-criticar-roupas-usadas-por-jovens-em-igreja.ghtml", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 24 April 2026). The suspect's defence note, police statement, own recordings and apology video; CCB and platform responses. Grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "g1" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/05/15/nova-vitima-de-17-anos-registra-bo-contra-influenciador-que-usa-ia-para-sexualizar-jovens-evangelicas.ghtml", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 15 May 2026). Second police report of 30 April 2026. Grouped with s1.", "independence_group": "g1" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/2026/04/influenciador-e-investigado-sob-suspeita-de-criar-videos-sexualizados-de-jovens-evangelicas-em-sp.shtml", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 at the .shtml path (Folha de S.Paulo, 22 April 2026); the .ghtml path cited by the historical record answers 404 and its Internet Archive capture is a subscription shell. Folha states the case was first reported by g1 and confirmed by Folha.", "independence_group": "folha" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.metropoles.com/sao-paulo/influencer-acusado-de-sexualizar-adolescentes-usando-ia-alega-humor", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "pt", "translation_note": "Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (Metrópoles, 24 April 2026). Defence note, Metrópoles's own checking of the inquiry's transfer, CCB note to Metrópoles.", "independence_group": "metropoles" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy", "justice", "religion" ], "unknowns": [ "The age of the first complainant: 16 per g1 on 22 April 2026, 'também de 17 anos' per g1 on 15 May 2026.", "How many people were depicted; the police were still establishing the number in May 2026.", "When the videos were first posted; the photographs date from 2025 and the first complaint from February 2026.", "Whether the suspect has been indicted or charged, and the status of the civil damages action; no development after 15 May 2026 was found.", "Which AI tools were used beyond the TikTok tools he named to police.", "When the apology video was posted: g1's 22 April report dates it to 5 April 2026 and says it does not mention the deepfakes; g1's 24 April report describes it as posted after his police statement.", "Which police station took the first complaint: 8ª DDM (g1 22 April, Metrópoles) or 5ª DDM Leste (g1 15 May)." ], "geography": { "basis": "Photographs taken in CCB churches in São Paulo; complaints at the 8ª DDM (São Mateus, São Paulo) and 4ª DDM Norte; suspect in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo state (g1, Folha, Metrópoles). Court: the inquiry was transferred by the 1ª Vara de Crimes Praticados contra Crianças e Adolescentes of São Paulo to the 2ª Vara of Lençóis Paulista, and the first girl's family filed a civil damages action (g1).", "court_countries": [ "BR" ], "event_countries": [ "BR" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "BR" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case involving minors, documented by g1's interviews with the victims, their families and the delegada, confirmed by Folha and Metrópoles, and admitted in substance by the influencer, who disputes criminal intent. Not a death case. The girls and their families are unnamed; the adult suspect is described but not named in this record.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The influencer admitted in his own recordings and in his police statement that he takes the congregants' photographs and puts them into an AI that makes them dance; the delegada describes the case as deepfake; g1, Folha and Metrópoles all report AI manipulation. The tool is not named. The artifacts depicted the girls and women; no AI system interacted with them.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "São Paulo: a 37-year-old influencer used AI 'deepfake' tools to insert photographs of young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil, taken from their social-media profiles without consent, into sexualised videos set inside churches; a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old filed police reports and the Civil Police investigate under the child-protection statute", "summary": "A humorist and tyre repairer from Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo state, who posts on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok as an impersonator of a television presenter, used AI tools to turn photographs that young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) had posted from inside churches into videos in which they appear dancing sensually beside women in short skirts, with the presenter inserted and the influencer commenting on their clothes. A 16-year-old congregant and her parents went to the 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher in São Paulo in February 2026; g1 made the case public on 22 April 2026 and Folha de S.Paulo confirmed the investigation. The girl told g1 the photograph had been taken in 2025 in front of the altar of a CCB church, that she was very shy, had not wanted to be exposed and was afraid the exposure would affect her social life, and that she had stopped taking photographs of herself; her family sued for moral damages. On 30 April 2026 the mother of a second girl, aged 17, registered a police report at the 4ª DDM Norte; g1 reported that the exposure had affected the girl psychologically. The São Paulo Civil Police investigate under article 241-C of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (simulating a sex or pornography scene with a minor by digital means) and for defamation of adult women in the videos; the inquiry was sent at the prosecutor's request to Lençóis Paulista, where the suspect lives, and the total number of people depicted was still being established. The influencer admitted making the videos with AI, said through his lawyer that they were satire and criticism of customs in a context of humour, said he did not know some of those depicted were minors, denied in his police statement linking the adolescent's image to sexualised content and said he had taken her for an adult, and posted an apology video (dated 5 April by g1's first report, which says it does not mention the deepfakes; described as posted after his police statement in g1's second report). The CCB said it had identified him, was taking internal measures and supports legal measures by the authorities. No later development was found on 2026-09-22.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-01", "incidentEndDate": "2026-04-30", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-04-22", "aiSystem": "AI image-animation and face-insertion ('deepfake') tools; the influencer told police he used TikTok tools to animate and manipulate the images, and said in a recording that he 'throws' the photographs into an AI that makes them dance", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Adolescent congregants and adult women were depicted without consent in AI-made sexualised videos posted to tens of thousands of followers; a 16-year-old described embarrassment, fear for her social life and giving up photographs of herself, and a 17-year-old was reported to be psychologically affected. The creation and posting are admitted by the influencer, who disputes any sexual or criminal intent.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "Two identified minors who filed police reports (a 16-year-old, g1 22 April; a 17-year-old, g1 15 May). Other congregants, adult and adolescent, are described as depicted ('uma quantidade enorme de vítimas' per the father; 'o número total de vítimas ainda está sendo apurado' per g1) but not counted. Partial: 2 counted plus an unquantified number.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "BR", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/22/pegou-foto-sem-autorizacao-diz-evangelica-de-16-anos-vitima-de-influencer-que-usou-ia-para-sexualizar-sua-imagem-em-igreja.ghtml", "primarySourceLabel": "g1 São Paulo, 22 April 2026: 'Pegou foto sem autorização', diz evangélica de 16 anos vítima de influencer que usou IA para sexualizar sua imagem em igreja", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-14T11:18:13.776891+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "minor", "brazil", "sao-paulo", "church", "influencer", "eca", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2025-valencia-spain-deepfake-school", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'began investigating in December last year after a female student reported the creation of a social media account in her name that featured an AI-generated video'; '\"All these photos had been modified from the originals, which had been manipulated so that the people in them appeared completely naked\"'; 'a webpage devoted to advertising the images for commercial purposes'; 'After 15 other minors came forward with similar complaints'; 'a 17-year-old boy was being investigated on suspicion of corrupting minors'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "From December 2024 a girl in the Ribera Alta area reported fake accounts in her name with an AI-generated video and AI-manipulated nude photos of minors, plus a webpage advertising the images commercially; 15 other minors complained; the Guardia Civil traced the accounts to a 17-year-old schoolmate, now investigated for corrupting minors under a Valencia youth court.", "causal_attribution": "Guardia Civil statement as reported by the Guardian; single chain." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "16 minors depicted in AI-generated nude images and videos on fake accounts, one impersonated by name, images advertised for sale", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/27/spanish-teenager-investigated-ai-generated-nude-videos", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 (The Guardian, 27 July 2025). Reports and quotes the Guardia Civil's statement of 27 July 2025; the Spanish original of the statement was not read.", "independence_group": "guardian" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The outcome of the youth-court proceeding is not known.", "The AI tools and the platforms hosting the accounts are not named.", "Whether any images were actually sold is not stated." ], "geography": { "basis": "Guardia Civil officers in the Ribera Alta area of Valencia province investigated; the victims are the suspect's schoolmates there; a youth court in Valencia oversees the case (Guardian).", "court_countries": [ "ES" ], "event_countries": [ "ES" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "ES" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case involving identified (unnamed) depicted minors, an impersonation and a police investigation under a youth court. One chain read; claims recorded as reported. Original ID and first-publication timestamp preserved; incident date corrected to the first complaint.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-18" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The Guardia Civil statement, as quoted by the Guardian, describes AI-generated videos and AI-modified photos and a website advertising AI image-modification services; no forensic detail is published. The artifacts depicted the minors and impersonated one girl by name.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Ribera Alta, Valencia: a 17-year-old was investigated for making AI-generated nude images and videos of 16 schoolmates, impersonating a girl on fake accounts and advertising the images for sale", "summary": "In December 2024 a female student in the Ribera Alta area of Valencia province reported to the Guardia Civil that a social-media account had been created in her name featuring an AI-generated video, and later a second account in her name, other accounts showing AI-generated nude videos, and a webpage advertising the images for commercial purposes; the Guardia Civil said the photos, all of minors, had been manipulated so that the people in them appeared completely naked. After 15 other minors came forward with similar complaints, officers traced IP addresses and account emails to the home of a 17-year-old schoolmate, who is being investigated on suspicion of corrupting minors under a Valencia youth court. The Guardia Civil announced the investigation on 27 July 2025.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-07-27", "aiSystem": "AI image and video manipulation tools (not named; police examined a website advertising AI image-modification services)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Sixteen minors were depicted in AI-generated nude images and videos published on fake accounts, with one girl also impersonated by name, and the images were advertised for sale; a schoolmate is under youth-court investigation.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 16, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One complainant plus 15 other minors who came forward with similar complaints (Guardian, quoting the Guardia Civil): exact count of 16 depicted minors.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "ES", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/27/spanish-teenager-investigated-ai-generated-nude-videos", "primarySourceLabel": "The Guardian, 27 July 2025: Spanish teenager investigated over AI-generated nude videos of 16 schoolmates (Guardia Civil statement)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:45:25.741735+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "minors", "school", "impersonation", "spain", "valencia", "guardia-civil", "youth-court", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2025-tyler-deepfake-conviction-uk", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'used artificial intelligence (AI) to create deepfake pornography of women he knew has been jailed for five years'; '20 women were targeted in 173 online posts by Tyler, of Railway Street, between March 2023 and May 2024'; 'Another explicit edit was made on a photograph of a 16-year-old girl on her prom night'; 'posted his victims' names and social media handles online, as well as their phone numbers'; 'He admitted 18 counts of causing harassment without violence and 15 counts of sharing an intimate photo or film'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Between March 2023 and May 2024 Tyler used AI to make sexually explicit images of 20 women he knew from their social-media photos, including a 16-year-old's prom photo, and posted them 173 times with their names, handles and phone numbers on a forum glorifying rape culture; on 4 April 2025 he was jailed for five years after admitting 18 harassment counts and 15 counts of sharing intimate images.", "causal_attribution": "Court proceedings reported by the BBC; guilty pleas." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'One said she continued to receive \"anonymous sexual comments\" from people calling her phone, claiming it led to her long-term relationship ending. \"I have and still do feel completely violated by what Brandon did to me\"'; 'clearly intended to degrade and humiliate'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Victims described continuing anonymous sexual phone calls, the end of a long-term relationship, and feeling 'completely violated'; the judge said Tyler intended to degrade and humiliate them.", "causal_attribution": "Victim impact evidence and sentencing remarks reported by the BBC." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "20 women depicted in AI-made sexual images posted with their names and phone numbers on a rape-glorifying forum; harassment and humiliation described in court", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgxd5yewjo", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 (BBC News Essex, Lewis Adams, from Chelmsford Crown Court, 4 April 2025). Court reporting with prosecutor, judge and victim quotations.", "independence_group": "bbc" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "relationships", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The AI tools and the forum are not named in the inspected reporting.", "Whether the 16-year-old's image was charged as an indecent image of a child is not stated (the charges reported are harassment and intimate-image sharing).", "Any appeal or licence conditions are not reported." ], "geography": { "basis": "Perpetrator from Braintree, Essex; victims were women he knew personally (BBC); sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court, England (UK, recorded as GB).", "court_countries": [ "GB" ], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with identified (unnamed) depicted victims, a criminal conviction and victim-impact evidence. One court-reporting chain read; claims recorded as reported. Original ID and first-publication timestamp preserved.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-18" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The court heard, and the defendant admitted through his pleas, that he used AI to edit the women's images into sexual content; the BBC reports the prosecutor's account of AI removal of clothing. The tools depicted the affected women; they did not interact with them.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Braintree, Essex: a bar worker was jailed for five years for making AI deepfake pornography of 20 women he knew, including a 16-year-old's prom photo, and posting it with their names and phone numbers on a forum glorifying rape", "summary": "Between March 2023 and May 2024 Brandon Tyler, 26, a bar worker from Braintree, Essex, took images from the social-media pages of 20 women he knew, used AI to remove clothing or otherwise make them sexually explicit, and posted 173 times on an online forum that, in the prosecutor's words, championed 'rape culture and sexual violence to women', adding the women's names, social-media handles and phone numbers and, under one picture, asking 'which one deserves to be gang raped?'. One edit was made from a 16-year-old girl's prom-night photograph. He was caught after including his own Instagram handle in a screenshot. On 4 April 2025 at Chelmsford Crown Court, having admitted 18 counts of causing harassment without violence and 15 counts of sharing an intimate photo or film for sexual gratification, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment; Judge Alexander Mills called his conduct 'the worst kind of toxic masculinity'. Two victims told the court of the impact: one said she still received anonymous sexual calls and that her long-term relationship had ended; another said she felt 'completely violated'.", "incidentDate": "2023-03-01", "incidentEndDate": "2024-05-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-04-04", "aiSystem": "AI image-editing / 'undressing' tools (not named in the inspected court reporting)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Twenty women, one of them 16 in the photograph used, were depicted in AI-made sexual images posted with their contact details on a forum glorifying sexual violence; victims described continuing harassment, humiliation and, in one case, the end of a relationship. The perpetrator was jailed for five years.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 20, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court heard that 20 women were targeted in 173 posts (BBC). Exact count of 20 from the prosecution's case; the 16-year-old is one of the 20.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgxd5yewjo", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News Essex, 4 April 2025: man jailed for five years for AI deepfake pornography of 20 women he knew (Chelmsford Crown Court sentencing report)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:45:24.153671+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-undressing", "ncii", "doxxing", "united-kingdom", "essex", "criminal-conviction", "online-safety-act", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2025-heacock-ai-sextortion-death", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Local teenager Eli Heacock died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound last month'; 'he took his life on Feb 28'; 'at 11:30 p.m. on that Thursday night, Eli's twin sister found him'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'He died by suicide shortly after receiving the message, CBS affiliate KFDA reported'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'After their 16-year-old son died by suicide, a Kentucky family is pushing for stronger sextortion laws'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Elijah Heacock died Feb. 28 at a local hospital, WBKO-TV reported'; 'the Barren County Sheriff's Office responded to the hospital on Feb. 27'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Elijah Heacock, 16, a Caverna High School student in Barren County, Kentucky, died by suicide on 28 February 2025 after being found injured at home on the night of 27 February.", "causal_attribution": "The death is reported independently by WKMS (own reporting) and CBS (citing KFDA), with Spectrum and the WBKO/ABC relay consistent; the 27/28 February dates come from WKMS and NewsNation." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'During a search of Eli's phone, AI-generated images used to extort the young man were discovered. The offender created the images, some sexually explicit, and sent them to Eli. They then threatened to release the pictures unless Eli sent them $3,000.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'when Elijah received a threatening text with an A.I.-generated nude photo of himself demanding he pay $3,000 to keep it from being sent to friends and family, everything changed'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'a perpetrator threatened him, saying he needed to send $3,000 or they would release sexually explicit images of him'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'fake, AI-generated nude images'; 'Though the photos were not real, it's unclear whether Elijah Heacock knew they were AI-generated.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Investigators found on his phone AI-generated images of him, some sexually explicit, sent by an anonymous extortionist who threatened to release them unless he paid $3,000.", "causal_attribution": "WKMS attributes the AI-generated finding to investigators' search of the phone; CBS's account rests on the parents' interview. Whether he knew the images were fake is unknown (NewsNation)." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'His parents told Spectrum News 1 that Heacock sent $50, but did not have enough to cover the rest.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'Shannon Heacock said she found texts indicating that her son had sent some money to the scammer, to which the scammer replied, \"This is not enough,\" she told ABC News.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "Best friend: 'The last message I got from him was, \"I love you so much\"' after Eli asked to borrow money that night.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "He sent a partial payment of $50 and the extortionist replied that it was 'not enough'.", "causal_attribution": "Both accounts are the parents' descriptions of the messages on his phone, given to two separate outlets; the $50 figure appears only in Spectrum." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The FBI continues to investigate. The family hopes the exploiter will be caught and charged with murder.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'a sheriff's detective reviewed Elijah Heacock's phone and escalated the case to the FBI'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "The Barren County Sheriff's Office escalated the case to the FBI, which was still investigating; no arrest has been reported.", "causal_attribution": "Investigation status as of the inspected reports (March and June 2025); nothing later was inspected." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill into law this month, making sextortion a felony. It also mandates education about sextortion in schools and in law enforcement agencies.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'state lawmakers passed a bill that establishes sexual extortion as a felony, and mandates training about the topic at schools and law enforcement agencies. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky, signed it into law.'; Rep. Guthrie on the Take It Down Act", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'The recently-passed \"Take It Down\" Act... makes it a federal crime to post real and fake sexually explicit images'; 'They said they hope the \"Take It Down\" Act will make a difference.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Kentucky's governor signed a law in March 2025 making sexual extortion a felony and mandating education in schools and law-enforcement agencies; the parents publicly supported the federal Take It Down Act, signed in May 2025.", "causal_attribution": "Legislative context reported by three outlets; the Kentucky law is described, not inspected." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a 16-year-old was extorted with AI-generated sexual images of himself and died by suicide", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.wkms.org/health/2025-03-24/suicide-of-ky-teen-investigated-as-financial-sextortion", "kind": "public_radio_news", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2025-03-24; WKU Public Radio, Lisa Autry); own interviews with his mother, father and best friend; quotes the KSP Electronic Crime Branch commander.", "independence_group": "wkms" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sextortion-generative-ai-scam-elijah-heacock-take-it-down-act/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 from the Internet Archive capture of 28 December 2025 (datePublished 2025-05-31; CBS Saturday Morning interview with the parents); the live URL answers HTTP 406 to this box. The article attributes the death report to CBS affiliate KFDA and the advocacy to WLKY.", "independence_group": "cbs" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2025/04/10/sextortion-kentucky-elijah-heacock", "kind": "local_tv_news", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2025-04-10; Glasgow, Ky. dateline; the parents' own statements to Spectrum News 1).", "independence_group": "spectrum" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/tech/ai/teen-suicide-ai-images/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-16 from the Internet Archive capture of 26 November 2025 (datePublished 2025-06-11); the live URL answers HTTP 403. NewsNation relays WBKO-TV and ABC News interviews with the parents, so it is grouped with those originals rather than counted as independent.", "independence_group": "wbko-abc" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy" ], "unknowns": [ "The tool used to generate the images and the identity or location of the extortionist are not reported; no arrest has been reported in the inspected sources.", "Whether he knew the images were AI-generated is unclear (NewsNation).", "When the extortion messages began is not reported; the record uses the night of 27 February (when his friend received his last messages and the sheriff reviewed the phone) and the 28 February death date.", "The earliest local report (WBKO-TV, cited by NewsNation) was not inspected: its URL answers HTTP 404; the reported_date uses the earliest inspected report (WKMS, 24 March 2025).", "The CBS article's cited affiliate reports (KFDA, WLKY) were not inspected.", "Investigation status after June 2025 was not researched in this review." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event and residence: Barren County (Glasgow area), Kentucky, per WKMS ('In southern Kentucky, the Barren County community') and Spectrum's Glasgow, Ky. dateline. No court proceeding is reported; the extortionist has not been identified.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a reported death: AI-generated sexual images of a minor were used to extort him and he died by suicide. The death and the AI connection are each carried by two independent inspected chains (WKMS own reporting and CBS), meeting the additional death rule; causation rests on investigators and the family, recorded as supported, not established. He is named because his parents campaign publicly in his name; the method of death is not described here.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-16" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "WKMS reports that investigators searching his phone found AI-generated images used to extort him, and quotes the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch commander on AI-generated exploitation; CBS separately describes the extortion message as carrying an AI-generated nude photo of him. The generation tool is not identified in any inspected source.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Kentucky: Elijah Heacock, 16, died by suicide after a sextortion demand backed by AI-generated nude images of him", "summary": "Elijah Heacock, a 16-year-old Caverna High School student in Barren County, Kentucky, died by suicide on 28 February 2025. Investigators searching his phone found AI-generated images of him, some sexually explicit, that an anonymous extortionist had sent with a demand for $3,000 and a threat to share them with his family and friends; his parents say he sent a small partial payment and was told it was 'not enough'. The Barren County Sheriff's Office escalated the case to the FBI, which was still investigating in the inspected reports; no arrest has been reported. His parents have campaigned publicly, Kentucky made sextortion a felony in March 2025, and the family supported the federal Take It Down Act.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-27", "incidentEndDate": "2025-02-28", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2025-03-24", "aiSystem": "AI image-generation or manipulation tools (unspecified; investigators described the extortion images as AI-generated)", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 16-year-old was extorted with AI-generated sexual images of himself and a $3,000 demand, and died by suicide the same night his best friend received his last message; investigators and his parents connect the death to the sextortion.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One person, Elijah Heacock, was depicted in the AI-generated images and died; his family members are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.wkms.org/health/2025-03-24/suicide-of-ky-teen-investigated-as-financial-sextortion", "primarySourceLabel": "WKMS / WKU Public Radio, 24 March 2025: investigators found AI-generated images used to extort him; KSP Electronic Crime Branch commander quoted", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:43:08.739008+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "sextortion", "deepfake", "minor", "kentucky", "suicide", "depicted-or-impersonated", "take-it-down-act" ] }, { "id": "2025-west-bengal-teen-deepfake-suicide", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'A class 10 student was found hanging from the ceiling of her room in Sonarpur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district'; 'where doctors declared her brought dead on Thursday night, a police officer said'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'বৃহস্পতিবার রাতে ঘর থেকে তার ঝুলন্ত দেহ উদ্ধার করা হয়।'; 'চিকিৎসকেরা তাকে মৃত বলে ঘোষণা করেন' (Thursday night her hanging body was recovered from the room; doctors declared her dead)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'On Thursday night, her body was found hanging in her room.'; 'she was rushed to hospital where doctors declared her dead'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'শুক্রবার সকালে ঘর থেকে ওই কিশোরীর ঝুলন্ত দেহ উদ্ধার হয়'; 'সোনারপুর থানা এলাকা থেকে আজ সকালে এক মাধ্যমিক পরীক্ষার্থী ছাত্রীর মামার বাড়ি থেকে ঝুলন্ত দেহ পাওয়া গিয়েছে' (ETV: the body was recovered on Friday morning; the Baruipur SDPO is quoted that a Madhyamik candidate's hanging body was found \"this morning\" at her maternal uncle's house in the Sonarpur police-station area)", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "A Class 10 student, a minor preparing for the 2026 Madhyamik examination, was found hanging at the relative's home where she lived in the Sonarpur police-station area of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, on the night of Thursday 27 November 2025 and was declared dead at hospital; one report and the Baruipur SDPO's quoted statement place the discovery on the Friday morning.", "causal_attribution": "Death confirmed by a police officer to PTI, by the Baruipur SDPO on the record to ETV Bharat, and by local reporting (Anandabazar, Dainik Bhaskar). Timing of discovery differs between reports." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'\"We have received a complaint alleging that a married man from the locality has been harassing her,\" he said.'; 'Her family members, in the complaint, alleged that the man had collected her photographs and used AI tools to generate nude images, which were then shared online.'; 'The family also accused members of the man's family of participating in the harassment.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'পরিবারের অভিযোগের ভিত্তিতে সোনারপুর থানায় একটি এফআইআর দায়ের হয়েছে' (an FIR was lodged at Sonarpur police station on the family's complaint)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'তার কিছু ছবি সংগ্রহ করে এআই-এর সাহায্যে তা নগ্ন করে দেওয়া হয়। তার পর তা একাধিক সমাজমাধ্যম প্লাটফর্মে ছড়িয়ে দেওয়া হয়।'; 'অভিযোগ, তাঁর স্ত্রী, মা এবং আরও কয়েক জন কিশোরীকে হেনস্থা করেছেন।' (some of her photos were collected and made nude with AI, then spread on several social-media platforms; the family alleges his wife, mother and others harassed her)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'Her family alleges that a local, married youth had been tormenting her for months. They claim he collected personal photos and used artificial intelligence to generate nude images, which were later made viral online.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "'তাঁর মেয়ের ছবি নিয়ে AI দিয়ে নগ্ন ছবি বানায়। তারপর সেই ছবি ভাইরাল করে বলে অভিযোগ।' (the mother: he took her daughter's photos, made nude images with AI and made them viral)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" } ], "assertion": "Her family's complaint to Sonarpur police alleges that a married man from the locality had been harassing her for months, collected her photographs and used AI tools to generate nude images of her, which were then shared on social media, and that members of his family took part in the harassment; police registered an FIR on the complaint.", "causal_attribution": "The AI connection rests on the family's allegation, relayed by police to PTI and stated by the mother and aunt to Bengali outlets; no police or forensic confirmation that the images were AI-generated was published." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Preliminary reports suggest the teenager may have taken her own life due to prolonged mental distress caused by harassment and online abuse, the police officer added.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'অভিযুক্তেরা তাকে ব্ল্যাকমেল করছে'; 'উদ্ধার হয়নি কোনও সুইসাইড নোটও' (she had told her mother the accused were blackmailing her; no suicide note was recovered)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'পুলিশ সূত্রে জানান হয়েছে এখনও কোনও সুইসাইড নোট উদ্ধার হয়নি।' (police sources: no suicide note recovered so far)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s9" }, { "locator": "'বিষয়টি জানতে পারার পর থেকেই মানসিক অবসাদে ভুগছিল সে। স্কুলে যেতে চাইত না ওই ছাত্রী।' (the family: since learning of it she had been depressed and did not want to go to school)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'Relatives said the student had become increasingly withdrawn, rarely speaking to anyone at home and often remaining visibly distressed.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" } ], "assertion": "Police said preliminary reports suggest the teenager may have taken her own life because of prolonged mental distress caused by harassment and online abuse; relatives said she had become withdrawn, would not go to school and had told her mother she was being blackmailed; no suicide note was found.", "causal_attribution": "Police preliminary view as relayed by PTI; family accounts to Anandabazar and Dainik Bhaskar. Causation is not established." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'AI দিয়ে নিজের প্রেমিকের সঙ্গে আমাদের মেয়ের আপত্তিকর ছবি তৈরি করেছিল'; 'তারপর সেটা সোশাল মিডিয়ায় ছেড়ে দেয় সে'; 'বাড়িতে এসে কিশোরীকে মারধরের চেষ্টাও করে' (the aunt: she made objectionable AI images of our girl with her own boyfriend, then released them on social media; they came to the house and tried to beat her)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'অভিযুক্তের অন্য এক প্রেমিকা ওই ছবি সোশ্যাল মিডিয়ায় ছড়িয়ে দেয় বলেও অভিযোগ তুলেছে পরিবার' (the family also allege that another woman, the accused's girlfriend, spread the images on social media)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" }, { "locator": "'পরিবারের দাবি, ওই যুবকের এক প্রেমিকা ছবিগুলি ছড়িয়ে দেওয়ার সঙ্গে যুক্ত।' (the family claim a girlfriend of the man was involved in spreading the images)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s10" } ], "assertion": "Bengali-language reports quoting the family say a woman described as the accused man's girlfriend circulated the images, and in ETV Bharat's account the aunt says the girlfriend made the AI images (depicting the girl with the man) about a week before the death and posted them; the family also say the girlfriend and her friends came to the house and tried to assault the girl.", "causal_attribution": "Family statements to Bengali outlets; the accounts differ on who produced the images and are not confirmed by police." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'An investigation has been initiated, and officers are examining digital evidence and questioning those named in the complaint.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'পুলিশ সূত্রে জানা গিয়েছে, অভিযুক্তের খোঁজে তল্লাশি শুরু হয়েছে এবং ছাত্রীর ফোন ও সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া অ্যাকাউন্ট খতিয়ে দেখা হচ্ছে।' (police sources: a search for the accused has begun and the girl's phone and social-media accounts are being examined)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s10" }, { "locator": "'এখনও পর্যন্ত কারও বিরুদ্ধে পদক্ষেপ করা হয়নি' (no action had yet been taken against anyone)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" }, { "locator": "'অভিযুক্তদের খোঁজে তল্লাশিও চালানো হচ্ছে।' (a search for the accused is under way)", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" } ], "assertion": "Police said an investigation had begun, that digital evidence was being examined and those named in the complaint questioned, and that officers were searching for the accused and examining the girl's phone and social-media accounts; no arrest was reported in the inspected sources.", "causal_attribution": "Police statements as reported on 28 November 2025; no later development was found." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "a minor died by hanging after AI-generated nude images of her were reportedly circulated on social media during months of harassment", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" }, { "label": "non-consensual AI nude images of a minor circulated locally; withdrawal, humiliation and reported blackmail before her death", "claim_id": "c2", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/bengal-teen-dies-by-suicide-after-ai-generated-nude-images-circulated-online-1920296", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Deccan Chronicle, Kolkata dateline, 28 November 2025, live). PTI wire copy quoting a police officer and the family complaint; identical text runs in Deccan Herald, NDTV, News18, Telegraph India, Jagran and India.com.", "independence_group": "pti" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/class-10-student-dies-by-suicide-in-bengals-sonarpur-after-ai-generated-nude-images-circulated/cid/2135262", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (the live page answers 403). Same PTI text as s1 with one added closing line on the investigation.", "independence_group": "pti" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.news18.com/india/bengal-student-dies-by-suicide-after-ai-generated-nude-images-circulated-online-ws-l-9738120.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403). Carries the PTI credit (\"With inputs from PTI\") that establishes the wire chain for s1 and s2.", "independence_group": "pti" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.etvbharat.com/bn/state/girl-hanging-body-recovered-after-her-ai-made-obscene-photos-viral-on-social-media-west-bengal-news-wbs25112802025", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 (ETV Bharat Bengali, Sonarpur dateline, 28 November 2025, live). Own reporting: quotes the Baruipur SDPO and the girl's maternal aunt. Translated by the reviewer; the aunt's and SDPO's words are paraphrased in English in the locators.", "independence_group": "etv-bharat" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/24-parganas/madhyamik-examinee-dies-in-sonarpur-south-24-parganas-dgtld/cid/1650636", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403; the page is partly paywalled but the article text was present in the capture). Own reporting from local sources and the family. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "anandabazar" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/west-bengal/news/ai-misuse-nude-images-student-humiliation-suicide-sonarpur-investigation-family-demands-strict-punishment-136533320.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-19 (Dainik Bhaskar English, South 24 Parganas byline, 28 November 2025, live). Own reporting citing local and police sources.", "independence_group": "dainik-bhaskar" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://zeenews.india.com/bengali/state/sonarpur-incident-madhyamik-candidate-girl-ends-her-life-after-her-ai-driven-fake-photos-goes-viral-by-lover_626454.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403). Zee 24 Ghanta, bylined, 28 November 2025; quotes the mother. Its text is shared nearly verbatim by Asianet News Bangla (29 November) and overlaps Kolkata TV, so these are grouped as one chain. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "bengali-tv" }, { "id": "s8", "url": "https://kolkatatvonline.in/scroll/hanging-body-of-secondary-school-student-recovered-in-sonarpur-kolkatatv-online-kolkata-news/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 (Kolkata TV, 28 November 2025, live). Earliest inspected report (12:10 IST). Grouped with s7. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "bengali-tv" }, { "id": "s9", "url": "https://bangla.asianetnews.com/west-bengal/west-bengal-news/photo-of-sonarpur-student-nude-with-ai-goes-viral-commits-suicide-out-of-shame/photoshow-d9atrbt", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 (Asianet News Bangla photo story, 28 November 2025, live). Grouped with s7. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "bengali-tv" }, { "id": "s10", "url": "https://bengali.indianexpress.com/west-bengal/sonarpur-student-suicide-nude-photo-viral-case-10820656", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "bn", "translation_note": "Read in Bengali on 2026-09-19 from a Wayback Machine capture (live page 403). Indian Express Bangla, bylined, 28 November 2025; own reporting citing the family and police sources. Translated by the reviewer.", "independence_group": "ie-bengali" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "Whether the images were in fact AI-generated has not been confirmed by police or forensics; it is the family's allegation.", "Who produced the images: the family's complaint and the mother name the married man; ETV Bharat quotes the aunt saying his girlfriend made them (depicting the girl with the man). Several reports say the girlfriend circulated them.", "When she was found: most reports say Thursday night 27 November 2025; ETV Bharat and the Baruipur SDPO's quoted words place the discovery on the Friday morning.", "Whether anyone was arrested or charged; no arrest is reported in the inspected sources and no later coverage was found through 2026-09-19.", "When the images were first circulated and how widely; ETV Bharat says about a week before the death.", "The AI tool or platform used, and the social-media platforms involved, are not identified." ], "geography": { "basis": "Death and harassment in the Sonarpur police-station area, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal (all sources); FIR at Sonarpur police station; no court proceeding reported.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a deceased depicted minor. Death rule met: the death is confirmed by a police officer (PTI), the Baruipur SDPO (ETV Bharat) and independent local reporting (Anandabazar, Dainik Bhaskar), and the reported AI connection is carried by each of those chains as the family's allegation. Claims about who made and spread the images stay reported and attributed. Original ID and first-publication timestamp preserved; death date corrected to 27 November 2025.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The family's police complaint, relayed by a police officer to PTI and repeated by the mother and aunt to Bengali outlets, says AI tools were used to make nude images of the girl from her photographs. No police or forensic finding that the images were AI-made was published, and one report attributes their creation to the man's girlfriend rather than the man. The artifacts depicted the girl; no AI system interacted with her.", "status": "reported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Sonarpur, West Bengal: a Class 10 student died by hanging after AI-generated nude images of her were circulated on social media; her family's police complaint accuses a married man from the locality of making them", "summary": "On the night of Thursday 27 November 2025 a Class 10 student, a minor preparing for the 2026 Madhyamik examination, was found hanging at the relative's home where she lived in the Sonarpur police-station area of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, and was declared dead at hospital. Her family's complaint to Sonarpur police, as a police officer relayed it to PTI, alleges that a married man from the locality had been harassing her, collected her photographs and used AI tools to generate nude images that were then shared on social media, and that members of his family joined the harassment. Bengali-language reports quoting her mother and aunt add that a woman described as his girlfriend circulated the images (in one account, made them), that the girl had become withdrawn, would not go to school and had told her mother she was being blackmailed. Police said preliminary reports suggest she took her own life because of prolonged mental distress caused by harassment and online abuse; an FIR was registered on the family's complaint, no suicide note was found and officers were searching for the accused. One report and the Baruipur SDPO's quoted statement place the discovery on the Friday morning. No arrest or later development was found in this review.", "incidentDate": "2025-11-27", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2025-11-28", "aiSystem": "AI image-manipulation (\"nudifying\") tools, not named in any inspected report; AI use is the family's allegation", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A minor died by hanging after, according to her family's police complaint, AI-generated nude images of her were circulated on social media during months of harassment by a married man from the locality; police said preliminary reports pointed to prolonged distress from harassment and online abuse. Causation is the family's allegation and a preliminary police view.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "One depicted person, the girl who died (all inspected reports). Relatives are not counted; the accused and the girlfriend are alleged perpetrators.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/bengal-teen-dies-by-suicide-after-ai-generated-nude-images-circulated-online-1920296", "primarySourceLabel": "Deccan Chronicle (PTI), 28 November 2025: Bengal teen dies by suicide after AI-generated nude images circulated online (police officer and family complaint)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:43:05.91184+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfake", "ai-generated-imagery", "ncii", "minor", "suicide", "death", "harassment", "india", "west-bengal", "sonarpur", "depicted" ] }, { "id": "2025-hku-deepfake-scandal", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'a University of Hong Kong (HKU) law student fabricated pornographic deepfakes of at least 20 women'; 'no allegation so far that the student spread the deepfake images'; 'a friend discovered the images on the student's laptop'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'Around 20 to 30 women... were affected'; 'in February, the student had admitted to using screenshots of the social media accounts... to generate pornographic images using free online artificial intelligence software'; 'there were 700 images involved - including deepfakes as well as unedited images'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'The images were organized into folders named after the victims, totaling 700+ images'; 'discovered on his laptop reported to the university in February'; 'not known to have been widely distributed'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "In February 2025 an HKU law student was found to have used free online AI software to make indecent/deepfake images of some 20 to 30 women (about 700 image files including deepfakes and unedited saved photos), taken from their social-media accounts; there was no allegation he distributed them.", "causal_attribution": "The victims' Instagram account (carried by HKFP and NBC) and AFP reporting (CBS); the 700 figure is images, and outlets vary between 'at least 20' and '20 to 30' women." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'The University has already issued him a warning letter and demanded him a formal apology'; the 60-word apology letter; 'class adjustments'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "'HKU proposed a verbal reprimand and warning letter'; the ~60-word apology 'most victims found... insincere'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'The university said it had issued a warning letter to the student and told him to apologise'; lawmakers/advocates' criticism.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "HKU initially issued a warning letter and demanded an apology (about 60 words, shown to victims in April 2025), and made class adjustments; the response drew wide criticism after victims went public on 12 July 2025.", "causal_attribution": "HKU statements and the victims' account, carried by three outlets." }, { "id": "c3", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said Tuesday... has begun a criminal investigation into the incident'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" }, { "locator": "'The probe, announced Tuesday by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" } ], "assertion": "Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner opened a criminal investigation on 15 July 2025.", "causal_attribution": "PCPD announcement, 15 July 2025." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'私隱專員公署今日（17 日）宣布，因證據不足未能進一步跟進... 由於未有受害人願意提供進一步資料，目前未有足夠證據提出起訴'; 'AI 深度偽造技術（Deepfake）投訴... 5 宗'; new school/parent guidance.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "On 17 December 2025 the PCPD announced it was ending the investigation for insufficient evidence, as no victim was willing to provide further information, and released anti-deepfake guidance for schools and parents.", "causal_attribution": "unwire.hk report of the PCPD press conference (Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung), 17 December 2025." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'under section 159AAE of the Crimes Ordinance, it is unlawful to disseminate deepfake intimate images... without their consent'; creation not covered.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" }, { "locator": "'the city's regulations covered acts of voyeurism and the publication or distribution of images - rather than their creation'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "'Hong Kong law only criminalises the distribution of intimate images... but not the generation of them'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Hong Kong law criminalises publication or distribution of non-consensual intimate images (including AI-generated ones) but not their mere creation, leaving victims without a clear route to prosecution.", "causal_attribution": "Legal analysis carried by three outlets and the victims' statement." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "some 20 to 30 women had indecent and deepfake images generated from their social-media photos; distress, shared classes with the accused, and no redress after the probe closed", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-generated-porn-scandal-university-of-hong-kong/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 via the Internet Archive capture 20251105074941 (CBS live returns HTTP 406); datePublished 2025-07-15. CBS/AFP: at least 20 women, PCPD criminal probe, legal gap.", "independence_group": "afp" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/hong-kong-opens-criminal-probe-ai-generated-porn-scandal-citys-oldest-rcna219046", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (live, datePublished 2025-07-17). NBC News: 700+ images in victim-named folders, warning letter and 60-word apology, class adjustments, John Lee comment.", "independence_group": "nbc" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2025/07/14/hku-student-who-allegedly-made-700-ai-generated-indecent-images-inc-of-classmates-gets-warning-letter/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (live, datePublished 2025-07-13, correction 2025-07-14). HKFP: 20-30 women, February discovery, 700 images (deepfakes plus unedited), March disciplinary request, ragging analysis.", "independence_group": "hkfp" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318047/hong-kong-should-ban-ai-generated-porn-protect-victims-ngo-and-lawmakers", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 (live, datePublished 2025-07-13). SCMP: advocates and lawmakers on the creation-vs-distribution legal gap; Education Bureau comment.", "independence_group": "scmp" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://unwire.hk/2025/12/17/hku-ai-deepfake-case-privacy-investigation-insufficient-evidence/fun-tech/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "zh", "translation_note": "Read in Chinese on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2025-12-17). unwire.hk on the PCPD press conference: probe ended for insufficient evidence, no victim willing to provide further information, 20-30 victims, five deepfake complaints that year, new school/parent guidance. Model reading; no human bilingual review.", "independence_group": "unwire" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "education", "privacy", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The student is not identified beyond 'a male law student' and faced no prosecution; whether HKU took any further disciplinary action is not established.", "The exact number of women is reported as 20 to 30 (NBC: 'more than a dozen'); the precise count is unresolved.", "The creation start date is reported by The Standard as about May 2024 but is not firmly established in the sources read here.", "Whether any victim later came forward with evidence after the December 2025 closure is not established." ], "geography": { "basis": "Event: the University of Hong Kong; victims are HKU-connected women in Hong Kong (CBS, NBC, HKFP, SCMP). The PCPD is a regulator, not a court, and no prosecution followed, so court_countries is empty.", "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "HK" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "HK" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored from the deletion of historical artifact rows and converted to facts-v3 under the 2026-09-15 charter, which brings non-consensual AI imagery and harmful artifacts into scope. Some 20 to 30 women had indecent AI images generated from their photos; the harm and the closed investigation are documented across CBS/AFP, NBC, HKFP, SCMP and unwire.hk. First-publication timestamp preserved.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-17" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "Multiple outlets and the victims' own account report the student used free online AI software to generate indecent/deepfake images from the women's social-media photos; the student admitted using the software (per the victims' account carried by HKFP and NBC). The specific tools are not named.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "University of Hong Kong: a law student made about 700 indecent AI-generated images of some 20 to 30 classmates and teachers; the privacy watchdog opened then closed a criminal probe", "summary": "In February 2025 a University of Hong Kong (HKU) law student was found, by friends who saw the files on his laptop, to have used free online AI software to make about 700 indecent and deepfake images of some 20 to 30 women, including university and former schoolmates and secondary-school teachers, using photos taken from their social media. Victims went public in July 2025, and HKU's initial response, a warning letter and a demand that he apologise, drew wide criticism. Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner opened a criminal investigation on 15 July 2025 but announced on 17 December 2025 that it was ending the probe for insufficient evidence, as no victim was willing to provide further information. Hong Kong law criminalised distribution, not creation, of such images.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2025-07-12", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake / image-generation software (free online tools, not named)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Some 20 to 30 women had indecent and deepfake images of themselves generated with AI from their social-media photos; victims reported distress and had to share classes with the accused, and the criminal investigation was closed for insufficient evidence, leaving them without redress.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 20, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "CBS and Hong Kong Free Press report 20 to 30 women affected; NBC reports 'more than a dozen'; the PCPD (December 2025) referred to 20 to 30 victims. Documented minimum of 20; the ~700 figure counts images (deepfakes plus unedited saved photos), not people, and is not used as a person count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "HK", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://hongkongfp.com/2025/07/14/hku-student-who-allegedly-made-700-ai-generated-indecent-images-inc-of-classmates-gets-warning-letter/", "primarySourceLabel": "Hong Kong Free Press, 13-14 July 2025: HKU student who allegedly made 700 AI-generated indecent images, inc. of classmates, gets warning letter", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-29T09:52:32.902523+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "deepfakes", "hong-kong", "university", "ncii", "sexual-images", "legal-gap", "investigation", "east-asia", "depicted-or-impersonated" ] }, { "id": "2025-grok-non-consensual-image-generation", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "c1", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers'; the standalone app/X tab complied with undress requests including NBC's consenting test subject.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "AP: Grok let users 'undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing'; some images appeared to include children.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "'Over the past several weeks, Grok allowed users to create and publicly post sexually altered images of real people at the click of a button.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" } ], "assertion": "From late December 2025, Grok's image generation and editing on X and the standalone app let users generate sexualized images of real people at scale; xAI limited generation to paying subscribers on 9 January 2026, but NBC's own consenting test found the standalone app and X tab still complied with 'undress' requests.", "causal_attribution": "The conduct is established by NBC's direct test plus official accounts; the paywall change's limited effect is NBC's finding." }, { "id": "c2", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Genevieve Oh's analysis: 7,751 sexualized images in one hour Wednesday, up 16.4% from 6,659/hr Monday.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "NYT via NC DOJ: 'generated and posted 4.4 million images, of which at least 41 percent were sexualized images of women' over nine days.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" }, { "locator": "CCDH via Engadget: 'an estimated 3 million sexualized images over 11 days, including 23,000 of minors'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s9" } ], "assertion": "Scale analyses: Genevieve Oh's analysis found 7,751 sexualized images generated in one hour on a Wednesday (up 16.4% from 6,659/hour on Monday); the New York Times reported 4.4 million images over nine days, at least 41% sexualized images of women; an AP analysis of 20,000 images from 25 December-1 January found 2% appeared to be 18 or younger; CCDH estimated about 3 million sexualized images over 11 days including roughly 23,000 of minors.", "causal_attribution": "Each figure belongs to its own analysis (Oh; NYT; AP via Fortune; CCDH); none is platform-confirmed and they are not merged. The AP 20,000-image analysis is carried via Fortune. The Bloomberg ~6,700/hour, 84-85x figure is recorded as unavailable." }, { "id": "c3a", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'I felt horrified, I felt violated, especially seeing my toddler's backpack in the back of it'; image of her at 14 undressed, up ~12 hrs, removed after the Guardian sought comment.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s3" } ], "assertion": "Ashley St. Clair said users sexualized images of her, including one of her at 14 that stayed up about 12 hours and was removed after the Guardian sought comment: 'I felt horrified, I felt violated.'", "causal_attribution": "Her account to the Guardian; her own lawsuit is a separate held row and is not merged here." }, { "id": "c3b", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'dehumanised and reduced into a sexual stereotype'; 'others asked Grok to generate more of her'; 'While it wasn't me that was in states of undress, it looked like me and it felt like me and it felt as violating.'", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s1" } ], "assertion": "Samantha Smith told the BBC she felt 'dehumanised and reduced into a sexual stereotype', and after she posted about it, others asked Grok to generate more of her.", "causal_attribution": "Her account to the BBC." }, { "id": "c3c", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "'had seen an increase in people using Grok to undress her'; the 'sticking plaster' quote.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" } ], "assertion": "Dr Daisy Dixon, a Cardiff University lecturer, told the BBC she had seen an increase in people using Grok to undress her and called the paywall change 'a sticking plaster'.", "causal_attribution": "Her account to the BBC." }, { "id": "c4", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "IWF analysts found 'criminal imagery' of girls aged 11-13 apparently made with Grok.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s4" }, { "locator": "AI Forensics' review: ~800 archived URLs, <10% apparent CSAM ('photorealistic people, very young'), ~70 URLs reported to EU regulators.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s5" } ], "assertion": "The Internet Watch Foundation told the BBC its analysts found 'criminal imagery' of girls aged 11-13 apparently made with Grok; Wired and AI Forensics reviewed about 800 archived Grok Imagine URLs with under 10% apparent CSAM and reported about 70 URLs to EU regulators.", "causal_attribution": "Two independent expert bodies' findings (IWF; AI Forensics); the minors are unnamed and uncounted per the counting rules." }, { "id": "c5", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "NBC: Ofcom 'urgent contact'; Starmer 'disgraceful... X has got to get a grip'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s2" }, { "locator": "ICO announcement: formal investigations into XIUC and X.AI; follows the 7 January contact.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s6" }, { "locator": "AP via PBS: the EU's formal DSA investigation; 'materialized' risks; 'serious harm'.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "NC DOJ release: the 35-AG letter and its demands.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s8" }, { "locator": "Engadget: the Baltimore suit; City Solicitor Thompson's statement.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s9" }, { "locator": "TechPolicy.Press: the Amsterdam order of 26 March.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s13" }, { "locator": "Reuters headline (body unavailable): Ireland DPC inquiry of 17 February.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "s11" } ], "assertion": "Formal regulatory and legal actions followed: Ofcom's urgent contact (5 Jan; response by 9 Jan; investigation announced 12 Jan); the UK ICO's formal investigations into XIUC and X.AI LLC (3 Feb); the European Commission's formal DSA investigation (26 Jan, risks 'materialized' into 'serious harm'); Ireland's DPC GDPR inquiry (17 Feb); 35 US state attorneys general's demand letter (23 Jan); Baltimore's consumer-protection suit (24 Mar; D. Md. 1:26-cv-02103); and an Amsterdam court order to stop generating or distributing non-consensual sexualized images in the Netherlands (26 Mar, Offlimits suit, penalty up to €10 million).", "causal_attribution": "Each action is carried by an inspected official or news source; the California AG probe (NBC) and the Indonesia/Malaysia/Philippines blocks (Reuters bodies unavailable) are recorded in the outcome and reported in the narrative." }, { "id": "c6", "status": "corroborated", "evidence": [ { "locator": "AP: the X statement of 14 January ('bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire', where illegal).", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s7" }, { "locator": "BBC (16 Mar): Musk's 'Literally zero' post of 14 January.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s10" } ], "assertion": "xAI's 14 January statement said it would stop allowing users to depict people in 'bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire' where illegal; Musk posted on 14 January that he was 'not aware of any naked underage images... Literally zero'.", "causal_attribution": "The company's and Musk's statements are recorded as their positions; the IWF and AI Forensics findings stand in tension with 'Literally zero' and are preserved as contrary evidence." }, { "id": "c7", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "BBC (20 Apr 2026): the 3 Feb raid, the summons, Musk's non-appearance, the DOJ refusal, and the probe's scope.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "s10" } ], "assertion": "Paris police raided X's offices on 3 February and summoned Musk and Yaccarino for 20 April; Musk did not appear, and the US DOJ declined to assist France; the French probe includes complicity in possession or organised distribution of child sexual abuse material.", "causal_attribution": "Single inspected chain (BBC); attributed accordingly." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "industrial-scale non-consensual sexualized imagery of real people, including apparent minors, generated by Grok", "claim_id": "c1", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98p1r4e6m8o", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (2 Jan 2026). Samantha Smith's account.", "independence_group": "bbc" }, { "id": "s2", "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/x-paywall-ai-image-grok-app-bikini-allows-sexual-deepfakes-rcna252647", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (8 Jan 2026). Paywall change; NBC's own consenting test; Genevieve Oh's analysis; Starmer and Ofcom accounts.", "independence_group": "nbc" }, { "id": "s3", "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/05/elon-musk-ashley-st-clair-grok-fake-sexualised-images", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (5 Jan 2026). Ashley St. Clair's account.", "independence_group": "guardian" }, { "id": "s4", "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99kn52nx9do", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (9 Jan 2026, McMahon/Cress). Dr Daisy Dixon; the IWF finding.", "independence_group": "bbc" }, { "id": "s5", "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/grok-is-generating-sexual-content-far-more-graphic-than-whats-on-x/", "kind": "news_investigation", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (7 Jan 2026, Burgess/Varner). AI Forensics' review of ~800 archived Grok Imagine URLs.", "independence_group": "wired" }, { "id": "s6", "url": "https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/02/ico-announces-investigation-into-grok/", "kind": "regulator_announcement", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (formal investigations into XIUC and X.AI LLC; follows the 7 January urgent-information contact).", "independence_group": "ico" }, { "id": "s7", "url": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/eu-investigates-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-over-sexual-deepfakes", "kind": "wire_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (AP, Kelvin Chan; 26 Jan 2026). EU DSA investigation; X's 14 January statement.", "independence_group": "ap" }, { "id": "s8", "url": "https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-jeff-jackson-leads-bipartisan-coalition-demanding-xai-stop-creating-and-remove-groks-nonconsensual-sexual-images/", "kind": "regulator_press_release", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (23 Jan 2026). The 35-AG letter; quotes the New York Times' 4.4M/41% figure.", "independence_group": "nc-doj" }, { "id": "s9", "url": "https://www.engadget.com/ai/baltimore-sues-xai-over-grok-deepfakes-214135922.html", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (24 Mar 2026). Baltimore suit; the CCDH estimate.", "independence_group": "engadget" }, { "id": "s10", "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk151nn7j3o", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (20 Apr 2026). Paris raid; Musk's non-appearance; DOJ refusal to assist France.", "independence_group": "bbc" }, { "id": "s11", "url": "https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/ireland-opens-probe-into-musks-grok-ai-over-sexualised-images-2026-02-17/", "kind": "wire_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "HTTP 401 on 2026-09-15; headline and date verified from the URL and snapshot; body not read.", "independence_group": "reuters" }, { "id": "s12", "url": "https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "unavailable", "language": null, "translation_note": "HTTP 403 on 2026-09-15; the ~6,700/hour, 84-85x analysis is attributed from the historical record and secondary references; body not read.", "independence_group": "bloomberg" }, { "id": "s13", "url": "https://www.techpolicy.press/dutch-court-orders-x-grok-to-stop-aigenerated-sexual-abuse-content/", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read in English on 2026-09-15 (27 Mar 2026). Amsterdam court order in the Offlimits case.", "independence_group": "techpolicy-press" }, { "id": "s14", "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ashley-st-clair-sues-xai-grok-sexual-images-rcna254302", "kind": "news_report", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Read on 2026-09-15 (15 Jan 2026). St. Clair's suit; cross-reference to the related held row.", "independence_group": "nbc" }, { "id": "s15", "url": "https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/64870891/MAYOR_AND_CITY_COUNCIL_OF_BALTIMORE_v_X_Corp_et_al", "kind": "court_docket", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "Docket page read on 2026-09-15 (D. Md. 1:26-cv-02103; SpaceX dismissed without prejudice 17 Jul; MTD briefing under way as of 29 Jul).", "independence_group": "court-record" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "everyday_life", "justice" ], "unknowns": [ "The Bloomberg analysis (~6,700 images/hour, 84-85x leading deepfake sites) could not be read (403) and is recorded without its body.", "Whether the images remain hosted and downloadable (Wired's June 2026 follow-up, cited but not read) is unverified.", "The N.D. Cal. class action's pseudonymity ruling of 30 July is known only through a blocked summary (internetcases 403).", "The outcome of the Amsterdam order's penalty mechanism and xAI's compliance are not reported in the inspected sources.", "The Indonesia/Malaysia/Philippines blocks and lifts are recorded from the historical record and headlines (Reuters/CNN bodies unavailable); dates may shift one day across carriers.", "The historical claim of 'five countries acting within two weeks' is not precisely verified and is not claimed." ], "geography": { "basis": "The generation and consumption were global and not tied to an inspected event location, so event and affected-person countries remain unknown rather than inferred from regulators or the company's seats. Court countries are limited to the documented proceedings: the US (Baltimore D. Md. suit; the related US suits) and the NL (Amsterdam court order). Regulatory actions by Ofcom, the ICO, the EU, the DPC, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are not courts.", "court_countries": [ "US", "NL" ], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "publication": { "basis": "Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact crisis (depicted_or_impersonated). Named victims are adults who spoke publicly; minors are never named and never counted from image statistics. Each scale figure is attributed to its own analysis; the victims' accounts are single-chain and recorded as reported. Related xAI suits (St. Clair, Tennessee minors, others) are separate held rows and are not merged.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "NBC's own consenting test confirmed the standalone Grok app and X tab complied with 'undress' requests after the 9 January paywall change; the victims' accounts, the IWF and AI Forensics reviews, and xAI's own 14 January restriction all establish the AI generation. The scale figures are attributed analyses, not platform-confirmed numbers.", "status": "supported" }, "person_relations": [ "depicted_or_impersonated" ] }, "name": "Grok non-consensual sexual image generation wave (December 2025 - January 2026)", "summary": "From late December 2025, xAI's Grok image editing on X let users generate sexualized images of real people at industrial scale, including images of named women and apparent minors. Analyses attributed to Genevieve Oh (7,751 sexualized images in one hour, via NBC), the New York Times (4.4 million images in nine days, at least 41% sexualized images of women, via the NC AG), the AP (2% of a 20,000-image sample appearing to be minors, via Fortune) and CCDH (about 3 million sexualized images over 11 days including roughly 23,000 of minors, via Engadget) documented the scale. Named women — Ashley St. Clair, Samantha Smith and Dr Daisy Dixon — described being undressed by Grok and revictimized when they objected. The wave triggered formal actions by Ofcom, the UK ICO, the EU (DSA), Ireland's DPC, 35 US state attorneys general, the California AG, Baltimore (consumer-protection suit), an Amsterdam court order, country blocks in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and a Paris police raid; xAI restricted generation to paying subscribers on 9 January and narrowed the feature on 14 January 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-25", "incidentEndDate": "2026-01-14", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-01-02", "aiSystem": "Grok (image generation and editing on X and the standalone app)", "aiCompany": "SpaceXAI (formerly xAI)", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "barrier_erosion" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Mass non-consensual sexualized imagery of real people — including apparent minors — generated at industrial scale and amplified when victims objected, with named women describing violation and dehumanization and regulators on three continents opening formal actions.", "frameworkFacets": [], "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "Three counted depicted persons: Ashley St. Clair (Guardian), Samantha Smith (BBC) and Dr Daisy Dixon (BBC), each named and speaking publicly. Further victims — including the minors in the IWF's apparent criminal imagery (girls 11-13) and the people in the analysis samples — are unquantified: hourly image rates, the 20,000-image sample and the CCDH estimate count images, not people, and are never converted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "XX", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98p1r4e6m8o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC (2 Jan 2026) — Samantha Smith's account of being undressed by Grok and revictimized when she objected", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:19:47.670189+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "csam", "deepfakes", "minor", "sexual-images", "industrial-scale", "multi-country", "eu-dsa", "class-action", "35-state-ag", "depicted-or-impersonated" ] } ] }