Johor teenager nabbed for allegedly creating, selling lewd AI pics of schoolmates

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create pornographic images of his schoolmates and school alumni.

Johor police chief M. Kumar said the cops had received eight reports against the teenager, who was arrested at 5pm on April 8 in Kulai, Johor Bahru.

"We have also seized a phone believed to have been used to edit and upload lewd photos of his victims on social media, which are then sold at RM2 (60 Singapore cents) each.

"Early investigation found that the suspect used AI to edit photos of his victims, which he obtained through social media," he said in a statement on April 9.

He said the suspect is being remanded for four days from April 9 to assist in investigations.

"We urge other victims to come forward and lodge a report at their nearest police station.

"We would also like to remind the public not to share photos of the victims on social media," he said, adding that those with information on the case could contact inspector Nurul Huda Shohodin at +60-013-5382698.

The case is being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code for the sale, distribution, or circulation of obscene materials and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for sharing offensive and inappropriate content.

Meanwhile, Deputy Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said 30 to 40 of the student's schoolmates and his school's alumni were believed to be victims of his AI-generated images.

"A majority of them are the school's alumni. However, there are also current students as young as 14 years old.

"It is possible that some victims are still unaware that their images have been maliciously manipulated and distributed. We learnt that multiple groups using the name 'Foon Yew' have emerged on social media platforms.

"These groups have been circulating obscene photos generated using deepfake technology," she said in a statement on April 9.

Ms Teo, who is also Kulai MP, added that she has told the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to work closely with the police to expedite the investigation process.

"In the meantime, I want to say this to all the victims - this is not your fault. What happened to you could have happened to anyone," she said, adding that victims who have yet to lodge police reports can reach out to her office for assistance, including legal advice and emotional support.

It was earlier reported that a private secondary school student here is alleged to have used AI to create sexually explicit images of his schoolmates. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK