An 18-year-old local woman found out that explicit images using her face, which had been edited with an artificial intelligence (AI) application, had gone viral on social media.
The Johor Police received a report from the victim on April 3 regarding the incident, where she also discovered that the explicit images were being sold online.
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The suspect was selling the photos for RM2 each
Acting on the information, a team of officers from the Commercial Crime Investigation Division at the Kulai District Police HQ arrested a 16-year-old local male in the Kulai area on April 8, around 5:00 PM.
Johor Police Chief, Datuk M Kumar, said in a statement that they also seized a mobile phone believed to have been used to edit and upload the victim’s explicit images onto social media, which were being sold for RM2 each.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect used an AI-based application to alter the victim’s photos, which were sourced from the victim’s social media account.
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The police received reports from other victims
Kumar added that the suspect has been remanded for 4 days to assist in the investigation, while the case is being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
So far, the Johor Police have received 8 more reports from other victims in the same case, showing that it’s part of a bigger pattern.
Victims are encouraged to come forward and file a report at the nearest police station, and any information related to the case can be forwarded to the Investigating Officer, Inspector Nurul Huda Shohodin at 013-5382698.
The police also urge the public not to share the victim’s images on social media or spread any assumptions that could affect the investigation.
