Teenager questioned after explicit AI deepfakes of dozens of schoolgirls shared online

Angus Watson and Hilary Whiteman, CNN

Sydney (CNN) — Australian authorities are investigating nan distribution of deepfake pornographic images of astir 50 schoolgirls, allegedly created by a teen utilizing artificial intelligence.

The find comes arsenic nan national authorities pushes for caller laws to enforce situation sentences connected offenders who create and stock images made by AI devices to humiliate and denigrate victims.

Other countries, including nan United States, are attempting to reside an alarming emergence successful deepfake porn, wherever nude deepfakes of schoolgirls person been created and shared – successful immoderate instances, allegedly by schoolboys.

Victoria Police confirmed they had arrested and released a teen “in narration to definitive images being circulated online” pending further inquiries.

The images were reportedly created utilizing photos posted to societal media of 50 female students of Bacchus Marsh Grammar, a co-educational schoolhouse connected nan outskirts of Melbourne successful Victoria.

The school’s main Andrew Neal told nan Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that nan victims were girls successful grades 9 to 12, indicating a imaginable property scope of betwixt 14 and 18.

The boy’s property and personality are unknown, but Neal told nan ABC that “logic would propose that nan [offender] is personification astatine nan school.”

Speaking to nan ABC connected Wednesday, nan mother of a 16-year-old female Bacchus Marsh Grammar student, whose image wasn’t used, said her girl vomited erstwhile she saw nan “mutilated” pictures online.

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

The schoolhouse said successful a connection that it was offering counseling to nan students and assisting constabulary pinch their investigation.

“The wellbeing of Bacchus Marsh Grammar students and their families is of paramount value to nan schoolhouse and is being addressed,” nan connection said.

Legal conflict to extremity deepfakes

Social media companies, including X and Meta opportunity each nonconsensual pornography is banned connected their platforms, but definitive AI-generated images proceed to quickly dispersed online.

Last November, New Jersey precocious schoolhouse student Francesca Mani, 14, led nationalist demands for a national crackdown successful nan US against AI-generated deepfake pornography, saying images of her and dozens of her classmates astatine Westfield High School had been manipulated.

High-profile victims of definitive doctored images see Taylor Swift and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In March, Ocasio-Cortez introduced national authorities – nan Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act) – to springiness victims nan powerfulness to writer group who create non-consensual deepfakes of them.

However, nan bi-partisan legislation, backed by elder Republicans, grounded to walk a mobility for unanimous consent Wednesday, according to a connection by nan Senate Committee connected nan Judiciary.

Victoria is nan only Australian authorities wherever sharing deepfake pornography is simply a criminal offense.

In 2022, nan authorities government introduced three-year jailhouse position for utilizing exertion to make aliases stock kid maltreatment material, aliases sexually definitive worldly without consent.

This month, nan Australian authorities introduced authorities to criminalize nan distribution of deepfake pornography nationwide.

Under nan projected law, offenders could look up to six years successful situation for sharing non-consensual sexually definitive deepfake material.

If nan offender has besides created nan deepfake contented that is shared without permission, nan condemnation could emergence to 7 years successful prison.

It’s portion of nan country’s consequence to gender-based unit that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a “national crisis.”

So acold this year, 35 women person been killed, according to nan Counting Dead Women task – galore allegedly by existent aliases erstwhile partners.

Just past month, nan authorities government appointed a Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behavior Change, successful an Australian first.

On his appointment, MP Tim Richardson said he would attraction connected nan effect of nan net and societal media connected men’s attitudes toward women.

In a connection connected Wednesday, Victoria State Premier Jacinta Allan said nan alleged actions of nan teen were “disgraceful and misogynistic.”

“Women and girls merit respect successful class, online and everyplace other successful our community, which is why we person made laws against this behaviour and we are school respectful relationships successful schools to extremity unit earlier it starts,” Allan said.