Over 1,000 Deepfake Sex Exploitation Materials Found: Chinese Graduate Student's Shocking Method

The prosecution has demanded a three-year prison sentence for a Chinese international student charged with producing more than 1,000 deepfake sexually exploitative materials using the faces of his female graduate school colleagues.

The Northern Seoul District Court Criminal Division 5 held the sentencing hearing today for the 30-year-old Chinese graduate student, identified by the surname A, who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

A, who was enrolled in a doctoral program at a prestigious university in Seoul, was accused of using photos of seven victims—including female colleagues in the same graduate school laboratory—to produce composite photos and other materials featuring their faces in forms capable of causing sexual desire or humiliation over a period of six months starting in November of last year.

A total of 1,141 deepfake sexually exploitative materials, including composite videos and photos, were discovered on A's computer.

Records showing that A searched for ways to bypass the safety features of the generative AI Grok were also confirmed.

A's defense counsel stated, "The defendant confessed to the crime from the early stages of the investigation and admitted to all the charges in court," adding, "He acknowledges that producing sexually fabricated videos without the consent of the victims was wrong and is reflecting on his actions."

However, the counsel argued, "There is no fact that the produced images were sent to third parties or distributed on social media," and asked the court to take into consideration that "the degree of victim spread differs from crimes of the type where dissemination occurs and the victimized videos spread to unspecified many."

In addition, A's side appealed for leniency, citing that they had deposited 7 million won in criminal compensation for each of the seven victims, but the victims' side stated their intention not to settle and refused to accept the deposit funds.

On this day, the prosecution demanded a three-year prison sentence for A.

The court will hold the sentencing hearing at 10:00 AM on September 10.

(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Hong Jinyoung | Graphics by Yang Hyemin | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.