Sydney student allegedly created deepfake pornography of classmates
A teenage boy at a south-western Sydney high school was reported to police on 6 January 2025 after allegedly using AI platforms to create and distribute explicit deepfake images of female students via fake social media accounts.
What happened
A teenage boy at a south-western Sydney high school allegedly used artificial intelligence platforms to create explicit deepfake images of female students.
The student is alleged to have circulated the deepfake images using fake social media accounts.
NSW Police began an investigation on 6 January 2025 after reports of inappropriate images being produced and distributed online.
Reported impact
Female students at the school were featured in the explicit deepfake images without consent.
The NSW Department of Education stated it was providing affected students with appropriate wellbeing support.
Index analysis
NSW Police stated they are working with the eSafety Commissioner and the Department of Education on the investigation.
The NSW education minister described the incident as 'abhorrent' and stated that disciplinary action would be taken against the student while police investigate possible criminality.
Governance controls
The school's deputy principal and leadership acted immediately upon learning of the incident.
The NSW Department of Education stated that any decision about the student's future involvement in the school would be based on ensuring affected students feel safe.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.