Teen referred to prosecution for creating, sharing deepfake sexual images of female peers

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said the teenager created content using photos of around 20 girls his age.

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The logo of the National Police Agency
The logo of the Korean National Police Agency

A teenager has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly creating sexually explicit deepfakes using photos of around 20 girls his age and sharing them on social media, according to the police on Tuesday.

He is charged with creating and distributing fabricated sexual content in violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said.

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Korean law bans the creation of sexual deepfake material and the consumption of such content under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The act was revised in October 2024 to strengthen penalties. The creators of such videos can face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($35,400).

Investigators found that the posts uploaded to the account were visible to the general public.

The case had previously been reported to another police precinct, but the investigation was closed at the time because police were unable to identify a suspect.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said additional reports from victims eventually allowed investigators to identify the teenager.


BY SHIM HYE-YEON [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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