Teenager investigated for allegedly sharing deepfake pornographic images of dozens of students

Sydney () – Australian authorities are investigating the distribution of deepfake pornographic images of around 50 students, allegedly created by a teenager using artificial intelligence.

The discovery occurs while the federal government promotes new laws to impose prison sentences on criminals who generate and share images created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to humiliate and denigrate victims.

Other countries, including the United States, are trying to address the alarming rise of deepfake pornography, where imitations of student nudes have been created and shared, in some cases allegedly by other students.

Victoria Police confirmed it arrested and released a teenager “in relation to explicit images circulating online”, pending further investigations.

Apparently, the images were created from photos published on social networks of 50 students from Bacchus Marsh Grammar, a co-educational school located on the outskirts of Melbourne (Victoria).

The school’s principal, Andrew Neal, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the victims were girls in grades nine to twelve, indicating a possible age range of between 14 and 18 years old.

The age and identity of the alleged perpetrator are unknown, but Neal told ABC that “logic would suggest that the (aggressor) is someone from the school.”

Speaking to the ABC on Wednesday, the mother of a 16-year-old Bacchus Marsh Grammar student, whose image was not used, said her daughter vomited when she saw the “mutilated” photos online.

“I went to pick my daughter up from a sleepover and she was very upset, throwing up and it was incredibly graphic,” the mother told ABC Radio Melbourne, giving only her first name, Emily.

In a statement, the school reported that it offered counseling to students and helped the Police in their investigation.

“The wellbeing of Bacchus Marsh Grammar students and their families is of utmost importance to the school and is being addressed,” the statement said.

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Last November, 14-year-old high school student Francesca Mani led public calls for federal action in the United States against AI-generated deepfake pornography, claiming that images of her and others had been manipulated. dozens of his classmates from Westfield High School.

High-profile victims of manipulated explicit images include Taylor Swift and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In March, Ocasio-Cortez introduced federal legislation—the Dismantling Falsified Explicit Images and Nonconsensual Editing Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act)—to give victims the power to sue people who create nonconsensual deepfakes of them.

However, the bipartisan legislation, backed by senior Republicans, failed to pass a consensus motion unanimous on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Victoria is the only Australian state where sharing deepfake pornography is a criminal offence.

In 2022, the State Government introduced three-year prison sentences for using technology to generate or share child abuse material or sexually explicit material without consent.

This month, the Australian Government introduced a law to criminalize the distribution of deepfake pornography throughout the country.

Under the proposed law, offenders could face up to six years in prison for sharing sexually explicit deepfake material without consent.

If the offender also created the deepfake content that is shared without permission, the penalty could be raised to seven years in prison.

The measure is part of the country’s response to gender-based violence, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described as a “national crisis.”

So far this year, 35 women have been murdered, according to the project Counting Dead Women, many allegedly at the hands of their current or former partners.

Last month, the State Government appointed a Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behavior Change for the first time in Australia.

On his appointment, MP Tim Richardson said he would focus on the impact of the internet and social media on men’s attitudes towards women.

In a statement Wednesday, Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allan said the teen’s alleged actions were “shameful and misogynistic.”

“Women and girls deserve respect in class, online and everywhere else in our community, which is why we have passed laws against this behavior and are teaching respectful relationships in schools to stop violence before it starts,” said Allan. .