French man convicted for AI deepfake child sexual abuse material
A 20-year-old man in France was convicted of creating and sharing deepfake sexual images featuring the faces of 13 minors, including a 12-year-old, on social media. He created the images as revenge against one girl and to conceal his tracks, and also possessed child sexual abuse videos and made sexual propositions to a minor. The court sentenced him to two years suspended with conditions including psychiatric treatment.
What happened
A 20-year-old man from Mortain in the Manche department created and distributed deepfake sexual images on Instagram featuring the faces of 13 adolescent girls, the youngest aged 12. He created the images initially to target a 14-year-old girl who had refused to send him intimate photos, then produced additional deepfakes of other school classmates to cover his tracks.
The images superimposed the girls' faces onto pornographic content. The man confessed to creating the deepfakes, possessing child sexual abuse videos on his devices, and making sexual propositions to a 14-year-old girl via social media.
Reported impact
Thirteen adolescent girls were identified as victims. Several victims required psychological treatment. The victims expressed fear that the explicit images would continue to circulate.
Governance controls
The Tribunal de Coutances sentenced the man to two years in prison suspended, with probation conditions including an obligation to work and undergo psychiatric and psychological treatment. His Instagram accounts were suspended for six months.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.