Malaysia: Deepfake Explicit Images of 38 Students Created and Sold Online
AI-generated explicit images of 38 students, some as young as 12 or 13, were created, circulated and sold online at a Johor private secondary school. The school had been informed of the issue since at least 2024 but took no effective action until a victim filed a police report in April 2025, prompting calls for stricter digital safety protocols in Malaysian schools.
What happened
AI-generated explicit images of female students were created and circulated at a private secondary school in Johor. The suspect, a 16-year-old male, reportedly sold the edited images for as little as RM2 each on social media.
A victim discovered her face had been used in an explicit image and lodged a police report on April 12, 2025. The school had been informed of the issue since at least 2024 but took no effective action until the police report was filed.
Reported impact
38 victims have been identified, with the youngest reportedly only 12 or 13 years old. Six of the identified victims attended a press conference on April 12, 2025.
Index analysis
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching stated that the case highlighted the need for stricter digital safety protocols in all educational institutions. She noted that the Ministry of Education issued a circular in November 2023 requiring principals to take action within 24 hours of becoming aware of sexual misconduct cases, but this did not apply to private schools.
Governance controls
Teo stressed that private schools must establish stricter Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to address incidents of sexual misconduct involving AI-generated lewd images and could refer to the Guidelines for Managing Sexual Misconduct used by institutions under the Ministry of Education.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.