{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T07:18:23.317Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"image-generation","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"minors","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":9,"coverage":{"cases":9,"countries":4,"languages":2,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":4,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":2,"minors":9,"coreRelations":9,"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":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2025-council-rock-reported-ai-sexual-images-classmates","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: opening allegation, police confirmation and juvenile status.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The police-confirmed charging report describes alleged AI creation of sexual images of female classmates.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: incident month, upper count estimate and sharing uncertainty.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The article says the incident occurred in March and describes images of as many as twelve underage girls, with distribution unknown.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: charges unknown and district response.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Officials did not disclose the juvenile's specific charges and the district referred questions to police.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."}],"effects":[{"label":"Reported creation of sexual images of underage classmates without consent","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/council-rock-student-allegedly-made-120550053.html","kind":"journalistic","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"bucks-courier-police-account"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy"],"unknowns":["The exact first day, number of targets and distribution are unknown.","The specific charges, generation tool and case outcome were not inspected."],"geography":{"basis":"The investigation concerns the Newtown, Pennsylvania school community, and local police. Juvenile proceedings are in Pennsylvania.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"An inspected source describes a concrete person-level adverse experience connected to the specified AI use. Statements remain attributed, private identities are minimized, and unknown dates, counts and technical details are preserved.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The charging report expressly attributes the alleged images to AI. No images, charges or juvenile files were inspected independently.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Police report juvenile charge over AI sexual images of Council Rock classmates","summary":"The Bucks County Courier Times reported that Newtown Township police charged a juvenile after an allegation that he used AI to create sexual images of female classmates. The incident reportedly occurred in March 2025. The source gives an upper estimate of as many as twelve girls and says sharing was unknown; it does not establish a numeric minimum. The specific charges and later juvenile case outcome were not disclosed.","incidentDate":"2025-03-01","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-07-17","aiSystem":"Reported AI image-generation tools","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Reported creation of sexual images of underage classmates without consent","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The source says as many as twelve, an upper estimate rather than a lower bound. Both numeric harm fields are zero and the count is unquantified; no assertion of zero harmed people is made.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/council-rock-student-allegedly-made-120550053.html","primarySourceLabel":"Bucks County Courier Times, Yahoo relay updated 17 July 2025","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:11:26.149966+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:57:46.437754+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2025"]},{"id":"2025-cascade-students-report-ai-image-abuse-distress","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: opening student statements and sheriff's account.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Students and the sheriff's office described AI-created sexual images of female Cascade students.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: student statements about judgment, violation and school response.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Three directly described students expressed humiliation, fear or feeling silenced; one said no counselling had been offered to her.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body: superintendent response and sheriff's unknown-count statement.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The superintendent said counsellors were available and policies would be reviewed; the sheriff did not establish the total number of targets.","causal_attribution":"The inspected reporting describes this account. Claims remain attributed and causation is alleged; multiple reports of the same victim or police/court account are one independence group."}],"effects":[{"label":"Reported sexual-image abuse, humiliation and feeling unsupported at school","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.kcrg.com/2025/04/29/beyond-uncomfortable-cascade-students-say-classmates-used-ai-create-fake-nude-images/","kind":"journalistic","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"original-account-aiid-1350"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy"],"unknowns":["The first creation date, app identity and total target count are unknown.","Potential future employment consequences mentioned by a student are concerns, not established job loss."],"geography":{"basis":"The article locates the affected students in Cascade, Iowa, and the meeting in the local district.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"An inspected source describes a concrete person-level adverse experience connected to the specified AI use. Statements remain attributed, private identities are minimized, and unknown dates, counts and technical details are preserved.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Students and the sheriff's account quoted by KCRG attribute the images to AI apps. Underlying imagery and investigative evidence were not inspected.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Iowa students report distress and lack of support after AI sexual images","summary":"KCRG reported that Cascade High School students said classmates used AI apps to create sexual images of them. At a district meeting, students described humiliation, fear of being judged and feeling silenced. One said no one at school had offered her counselling. The superintendent said counselling was available and promised policy work. The sheriff said several female students were targets but that the total was unknown. The first image date is not established.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-04-28","aiSystem":"Reported AI image-generation apps","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Reported sexual-image abuse, humiliation and feeling unsupported at school","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":3,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"Three students have separately described their own adverse experiences in the article. A fourth speaker and the sheriff's broader group may include further targets; the full total is unknown. Three is a partial documented minimum, not a total.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.kcrg.com/2025/04/29/beyond-uncomfortable-cascade-students-say-classmates-used-ai-create-fake-nude-images/","primarySourceLabel":"KCRG, 28 April 2025 local time, school-board accounts and sheriff statement","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:11:22.688335+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:57:42.261979+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]},{"id":"2025-sydney-school-reported-deepfake-images-police-inquiry","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body, retained text line 99: paragraph about digitally altered images.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"ABC reports that digitally altered sexual images using female students' faces circulated online at a Sydney high school.","causal_attribution":"Two ABC reports on one school investigation. Police and commissioner statements remain reported. General statistics or experiences at other schools do not establish this case's individual impacts."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body, retained text line 93: paragraph about police complaint and investigation.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Article body, retained text line 101: paragraph about police complaint and investigation.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Families reportedly went to police and NSW Police confirmed an investigation was underway.","causal_attribution":"Two ABC reports on one school investigation. Police and commissioner statements remain reported. General statistics or experiences at other schools do not establish this case's individual impacts."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Article body, retained text line 99: paragraph about eSafety involvement.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The follow-up says the eSafety Commissioner's investigators were in talks with police and the education department about the digitally altered images.","causal_attribution":"Two ABC reports on one school investigation. Police and commissioner statements remain reported. General statistics or experiences at other schools do not establish this case's individual impacts."}],"effects":[{"label":"Reported nonconsensual sexual depictions circulated online","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-16/police-investigate-sydney-school-image-deepfake/105896812","kind":"journalistic","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"original-account-aiid-1234"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-17/deepfake-image-based-abuse-doubles-across-australia/105905152","kind":"journalistic","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"original-account-aiid-1234"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy"],"unknowns":["The first creation date, generation method and number of affected students are unknown.","The identities of creators and any investigation or disciplinary outcome remain unknown."],"geography":{"basis":"Both reports explicitly locate the affected students at a Sydney high school. The school's name is withheld.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["AU"],"affected_person_countries":["AU"]},"publication":{"basis":"Inspected local reporting describes a concrete school image-abuse event and case-specific official responses. Students and school are not named. The record remains undated and does not borrow distress claims from other schools or general statistics.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"ABC describes the case as deepfake image-based abuse and reports the eSafety Commissioner's involvement. The reviewers have not inspected the images, tools or a forensic determination.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Sydney schoolgirls reportedly targeted with deepfake images circulated online","summary":"ABC News reports that digitally altered sexual images using the faces of girls from a Sydney high school circulated online. Families went to police, who confirmed an investigation, while the school and education department said they were working with police. A follow-up report says the eSafety Commissioner was also in talks with investigators. The school is not identified, and the number of affected students, creation date and later inquiry outcome are unknown.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-10-16","aiSystem":"Reported deepfake image-generation tools","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The reports describe nonconsensual sexual depictions of schoolgirls circulated online and families seeking police help. No separate clinical or educational outcome is attributed to these particular students.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The sources refer to female students and several families without a reliable numeric count. Zero is an unknown-count placeholder and does not mean no one was harmed.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-16/police-investigate-sydney-school-image-deepfake/105896812","primarySourceLabel":"ABC News, 16 October 2025, police inquiry into Sydney school deepfake images","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:10:39.838754+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:58:17.276886+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]},{"id":"2026-us-high-school-students-reportedly-depicted-in-ai-generated-sexual-images-shared-between-students","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"first received a report on February 26 of AI being used to generate","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"which included the likenesses of high school students","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"received a report on Feb. 26 about the possible use of AI to generate","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"that allegedly included other students, according to the letter","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"a report of potential transmission of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"first received a report about the possible use of artificial intelligence to create","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"images of students in late February","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"AI may have been used to create","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"images of suburban high school students","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"received a report regarding the possible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"February 26th","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"School administrators received a report on 26 February 2026 of the possible use of AI to generate sexual images that included the likenesses of other students.","causal_attribution":"One district letter to families (reproduced in full by one outlet), relayed by five outlets. The district describes the AI use as possible or reported. No administrator or staff member viewed the content, the AI tool is not named and the reviewer saw no image. The 26 February date is the date the report reached administrators, and the letter's own timeline begins with that report. Two outlets give only late February, and none states when the images were generated. The last s3 fragment is from the police statement about the same report."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"On February 26, 2026","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"regarding a report of potential transmission of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles, between students","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"potential transmission of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles, between students","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Due to the involvement of minors, no additional information is available at this time","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"confirmed its active investigation, saying the case involved","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Police Department to report the incident","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"Police were contacted by school staff on 26 February 2026 about potential transmission between students of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles, and described an active and ongoing investigation with no additional information available because minors are involved.","causal_attribution":"One police statement carried by three outlets, each also relaying the district letter, whose timeline also says the police were contacted on 26 February. The statement refers to lewd material including AI-generated content and does not itself say which images were AI-generated. The reviewer did not see the content."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"families of students thought to be involved based on the initial report, including students involved in the possession, generation or distribution of content, and students whose images were included, were contacted by school administration","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Police Department on February 26 and February 27","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"issued school-based consequences","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"from February 26 through March 6","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"up until March 6, an investigation was conducted and ultimately","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"as well as students whose images were used","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"students reportedly involved in the possession, generation and/or distribution of content, students whose images were reportedly included","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"February 26th through March 6th","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"Families of students thought to be involved, including students whose images were included and students involved in possessing, generating or distributing the content, were contacted by school administration and a police detective on 26 and 27 February 2026, and the school issued school-based consequences between 26 February and 6 March 2026.","causal_attribution":"District account as relayed by four outlets. One outlet's paraphrase gives March 26 for the end date, but the letter it reproduces and the other outlets give March 6. The number and ages of the students involved and the content of the consequences are not reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"No administrators or staff directly viewed any of the content.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"No members of the high school or district administrative team directly viewed the reported AI-generated content, according to officials","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"directly viewed any reported content related to this investigation","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"The district said no administrators or staff directly viewed any of the reported content.","causal_attribution":"District statement relayed by three outlets. AI involvement therefore rests on the reports and the police statement, and no one quoted inspected the content."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"We understand the profound impact this has on the individuals involved, their families, and our learning community.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"We understand the profound impact this has on the individuals involved, their families, and our learning community.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"Parents whose child was impacted by the incident have been provided with school resources.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"we continue to provide targeted teaching and emotional support within our schools","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"We understand the profound impact this has on the individuals involved, their families, and our learning community.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"The district superintendent's letter to families said the incident had a profound impact on the individuals involved, their families and the learning community, and the district said it was providing targeted teaching, emotional support and school resources to parents whose child was impacted.","causal_attribution":"District statement relayed by four outlets. No depicted student is quoted and no individual effect on a student is described."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"One parent said police have obtained a subpoena for Snapchat records","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"for review of charges once the investigation has concluded","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"One parent told a local outlet that police had obtained a subpoena for Snapchat records and would turn the investigation over to a State's Attorney's office for review of charges once it concluded.","causal_attribution":"One unnamed parent, one outlet. Police and the district did not confirm it in the inspected reports, and Fox 32 says it is unclear whether charges will result. The platform on which the images were shared is not established."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Another parent said the number of victims is more than 40 girls and ranges from high school to fifth-grade.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Another parent told the same outlet that the number of victims is more than 40 girls and ranges from high school to fifth grade.","causal_attribution":"One unnamed parent, one outlet. Police and the district gave no count and did not confirm the figure, so it is not used as an affected count in this record."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Many parents with students at the school have expressed dissatisfaction with school administrators for their handling of the matter, including the school discipline of the student offenders involved.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The local outlet reports that many parents of students at the school expressed dissatisfaction with school administrators' handling of the matter, including the discipline given to the students involved as offenders.","causal_attribution":"One outlet's summary of unnamed parents. It does not say how many parents or what discipline was given."},{"id":"c9","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"It is unclear whether any criminal charges will result from the investigation.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Police may contact additional families if their children are found to be involved, officials said.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"As of the 2 to 3 April 2026 reports, it was unclear whether criminal charges would result, and police might contact additional families.","causal_attribution":"Fox 32 summary of district and police statements. No later report was found in the searches run for this review."}],"effects":[{"label":"Students reportedly depicted in AI-generated sexual images shared between students, with school consequences, a police investigation and district support for affected students","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/04/03/disturbing-incident-police-investigating-after-lake-zurich-high-school-students-distribute-ai-generated-nude-images-of-classmates/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Local news report of 3 April 2026. It relays the district letter and a police statement and adds statements from two unnamed parents that appear in no other inspected report.","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suburban-district-gives-update-as-police-investigate-ai-generated-pornographic-images-of-students/3918015/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/lake-zurich-high-school-investigates-report-of-ai-generated-explicit-images-of-students","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The report states that its information was provided by the school district.","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/lake-zurich-high-school-investigation-ai-images-students/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read from an Internet Archive capture of the page (article text present, dated 2 April 2026). The article is short.","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lake-zurich-high-school-issues-161150999.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Yahoo News copy of a WGN report that reproduces the district letter to families in full. The reviewer read the copy, because the WGN page itself returned an access error.","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://abc7chicago.com/post/police-investigate-ai-generated-nude-images-lake-zurich-high-school-students/18833845/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Short report (a few sentences) that repeats the district statement.","independence_group":"district-letter-and-police-statement-2026-04"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy"],"unknowns":["The event start date is unknown. No inspected source states when the images were generated or first shared. The earliest dated fact is the report to school administrators and police on 26 February 2026. Fox 32 describes the incident as occurring in late February and NBC Chicago as beginning on 26 February. Fox 32 says its information was provided by the school district and NBC Chicago quotes the district letter, whose timeline starts with the report and dates only the school's response. The letter calls it a recent incident. The case is published undated and outside the 2026 event-year lane.","The AI tool or app used, the platforms on which the images were shared (one unnamed parent mentioned a subpoena for Snapchat records) and the number of images are not reported.","The number of depicted students is not reported by police or the district. One unnamed parent's figure of more than 40 is unconfirmed and is not used as a count.","The ages of the depicted students are not stated by police or the district, and no depicted student or family is quoted about personal impact.","The number and ages of the students who created or shared the images and the school-based consequences they received are not reported.","No charge, prosecutorial decision or investigation outcome is reported in the inspected sources (latest dated 3 April 2026). No later report was found in the searches run for this review."],"geography":{"basis":"The sources describe a school district, a local police department and a State's Attorney's office, and one source gives the state as Illinois. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Six outlet reports of 2 and 3 April 2026 that rest on one district letter to families (reproduced in full by one outlet) and police statements (one independence group), plus statements from two unnamed parents in one outlet. All claims are reported. The school, district, town, students, officials and police are not named, and no image is described beyond AI-generated sexual images. The event date is unknown (the earliest dated fact is the 26 February 2026 report to school administrators), so the case is published undated and outside the 2026 event-year lane.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"District and police statements as relayed by six outlets describe AI-generated content depicting students' likenesses. No tool is named, no administrator or staff member viewed the content, and the reviewer saw no image.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Students at a US high school reportedly depicted in AI-generated sexual images shared between students","summary":"On 2 and 3 April 2026 outlets reported a district letter to families and a police statement about a report that reached high school administrators on 26 February 2026. The report concerned the possible use of AI to generate sexual images that included the likenesses of other students. Police were contacted the same day and described potential transmission between students of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles. Families of students thought to be involved, including students whose images were included, were contacted on 26 and 27 February, and the school issued school-based consequences between 26 February and 6 March. The police investigation was active and no charge was reported. One parent told a local outlet that police had obtained a subpoena for Snapchat records, and another said the victims number more than 40 and range from high school to fifth grade. The district and police gave no count, and the creation date, the AI tool and the outcome are not reported.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-04-02","aiSystem":"Unspecified AI image-generation tools","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"District and police statements describe a report of AI-generated sexual images using students' likenesses and potential transmission of lewd material between students, and the district said the incident had a profound impact on the individuals involved and their families. One parent reported more than 40 victims, which the inspected reports do not show police or the district confirming. No depicted student's own account is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"Police and the district refer to students whose images were included without giving a number. One unnamed parent told one outlet the victims number more than 40, and neither police nor the district confirmed that figure, so no count is used. Zero is a placeholder and does not state that nobody was harmed.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/04/03/disturbing-incident-police-investigating-after-lake-zurich-high-school-students-distribute-ai-generated-nude-images-of-classmates/","primarySourceLabel":"Local news outlet, 3 April 2026, police investigating after students reportedly distribute AI-generated sexual images of classmates","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:09:50.391678+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:44:24.369902+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]},{"id":"2026-county-armagh-school-reported-explicit-ai-images-of-pupils","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"A police investigation has begun after a report that AI-generated explicit images were allegedly shared among pupils at a County Armagh school.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"It has been reported that the images were created using artificial intelligence and the fake pictures were then shared among some students.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Police have received a report that AI-generated explicit images had been shared amongst pupils at a County Armagh school.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Police in Northern Ireland opened an investigation after a report that AI-generated explicit images were shared among pupils at a County Armagh school, and outlets report the images were created using AI and shared among some students.","causal_attribution":"The account rests on a police statement and the principal's statements as relayed by outlets. The images, the tool and the creators were not verified by the reviewer."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"said the school first became aware of the circulation of images on Thursday 8 January","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"the school believes to have identified \"all those of whom images had been manipulated and those allegedly responsible\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"the number of those targeted is in the \"single figures\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"the number of teenagers affected is in the \"single figures\" after reports that \"potentially dozens","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to a letter from the school principal to parents, the school first became aware of the circulation of the images on Thursday 8 January, believed it had identified all pupils whose images were manipulated and those allegedly responsible, and put the number of pupils targeted in the single figures after earlier reports of potentially dozens.","causal_attribution":"The principal's letter is relayed by the BBC, and the local outlet cites the BBC. The count is the principal's description and no documents or affected families were quoted."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"this has been a particularly difficult time for the pupils of whom manipulated images were created","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"described the ordeal as traumatising for the victims and their families and for the young people who created the images.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The principal wrote to parents that it had been a particularly difficult time for the pupils of whom manipulated images were created. A safeguarding expert commenting on the case called the experience traumatising for the victims and their families.","causal_attribution":"Both statements are general characterisations by the principal and an outside commentator. No depicted pupil or family member is quoted, and no individual harm is documented."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"local officers are also engaging with the appropriate school authorities and the parents/guardians of the pupils affected","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"local officers are also engaging with the appropriate school authorities and the parents/guardians of the pupils affected","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The Police Service of Northern Ireland said local officers were engaging with the school authorities and with the parents or guardians of the pupils affected.","causal_attribution":"This is one police statement carried by several outlets. It reports police activity and does not establish any outcome."}],"effects":[{"label":"Pupils reportedly depicted in AI-generated explicit images shared among pupils, with the school describing a difficult time for them","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g37g1e11po","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"school-letter-and-psni-statement-jan-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4e3gz3y01o","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"school-letter-and-psni-statement-jan-2026"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.anglocelt.ie/2026/01/19/sharing-of-explicit-ai-images-in-armagh-school-being-investigated-by-police/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Press Association copy syndicated by the Anglo Celt.","independence_group":"school-letter-and-psni-statement-jan-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","relationships"],"unknowns":["When the images were created and first circulated is not stated. The school reports becoming aware on 8 January 2026, so the event start date is unknown.","The AI tool used and the method of creation are not reported.","The number of pupils depicted is the principal's description (single figures). No source gives an exact count.","How the depicted pupils were affected is described only in general terms by the principal and an outside expert.","The AIAAIC repository entry describes an earlier police contact with victims in October 2025 and a victim's account of isolation. No inspected primary source states these details, so they are not used.","The outcome of the police investigation is not reported in the inspected sources. Those allegedly responsible are described as pupils and are not identified."],"geography":{"basis":"Sources place the school in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and the investigating force is the Police Service of Northern Ireland. GB represents the UK. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["GB"],"affected_person_countries":["GB"]},"publication":{"basis":"Three January 2026 reports (two BBC, one Press Association copy) relay one police statement and one school letter to parents. All claims are reported. The school, principal, pupils and those allegedly responsible are not named in public fields because the pupils are a small identifiable group. No image detail is given. The creation date is unknown, so the case is published undated and outside the 2025 event-year count.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Outlets report that the images were created using AI and then shared. The PSNI statement refers to AI-generated explicit images. No tool is named and the images were not seen by the reviewer.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"County Armagh school pupils reportedly depicted in AI-generated explicit images shared among pupils","summary":"BBC News and other outlets reported on 18 and 19 January 2026 that the Police Service of Northern Ireland opened an investigation after a report that AI-generated explicit images were shared among pupils at a County Armagh school. The principal wrote to parents that the school became aware on 8 January, believed it had identified all pupils whose images were manipulated and those allegedly responsible, and put the number targeted in the single figures. The principal described a particularly difficult time for the pupils depicted. The creation date, the AI tool and the outcome of the investigation are not reported.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-18","aiSystem":"Unspecified AI image-generation tool","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The principal wrote to parents that it had been a particularly difficult time for the pupils of whom manipulated images were created, and outlets report the images were shared among some pupils. A safeguarding expert described the experience as traumatising for the victims. No depicted pupil's own account is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"The principal refers to pupils of whom manipulated images were created and puts the number targeted in the single figures. That describes an upper range, so only one depicted pupil is counted as a lower bound. Earlier reports of potentially dozens are not adopted.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4e3gz3y01o","primarySourceLabel":"BBC News, 19 January 2026, pupils behind explicit AI images tracked down, says principal","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T13:28:32.307554+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:33.849751+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]},{"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","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","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","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:28.398558+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-imagery","ncii","minor","school","germany","berlin","pankow","184c-stgb","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","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","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","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:39.538001+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","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","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","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:33.644364+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-imagery","ncii","minor","school","tennessee","cookeville","juvenile-court","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)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","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","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:04.61944+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["sextortion","deepfake","minor","kentucky","suicide","depicted-or-impersonated","take-it-down-act"]}]}