JOHOR BAHRU – More police reports have been lodged against a male teenager who allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to create doctored lewd images of his schoolmates and school alumni, said Johor police chief M. Kumar.
A total of 22 reports have been lodged by victims against the 16-year-old suspect as of noon on April 12, he said.
“The suspect’s remand, which ends today, has been extended until Tuesday (April 15) to assist with the ongoing police investigation,” he said.
Datuk Kumar added that police were investigating how many of the doctored images the suspect had sold or whether there were other individuals involved in the case.
Initially, eight police reports had been lodged by suspected victims against the teen, which led to his arrest at around 5pm on April 8 in Kulai.
The suspect used AI to edit photos of his victims, which he obtained through social media, before selling the images at RM2 (60 Singapore cents) each.
In a statement on April 10, the school’s board of directors said it had expelled the teenager from the school in accordance with its rules.
The use of deepfake technology to fabricate and disseminate obscene images of school students is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stricter digital safety protocols in all educational institutions, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching on April 12.
She confirmed that 38 people have been identified as victims, with the youngest reportedly only 12 or 13 years old.
“The six initially involved had just graduated from secondary school, but the scope of this incident is far wider and more disturbing.
“It shows just how serious this issue has become,” she said during a press conference at the Kulai MP’s office on April 12.
She said one of the most pressing issues to be addressed was the attitude and response of schools toward such complaints.
“One of the major problems we need to take seriously is how schools respond. These complaints cannot be taken lightly. Schools must act with seriousness and urgency.
“This is a message we must send to all social media users, and to institutions entrusted with protecting students,” she said.
According to Ms Teo, the victim had already informed the school prior to filing a police report, but the matter was not treated with appropriate seriousness.
“There were similar incidents reported last year where schools were informed, yet, we continue to see a lack of decisive action.
“With the rise of AI-generated deepfakes and explicit content, all institutions – regardless of type – must take action. There is no reason private schools cannot adopt or tighten their own SOPs,” she said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
