"Teacher, Let's Take a Picture": The Fate of the Teenager Who Made Sexually Exploitative Content Using Teachers' Faces

A teenager who used deepfakes (fake videos) to produce sexually exploitative content targeting teachers and distributed it on social media has been sentenced to prison and taken into legal custody.

Judge Lee Chang-kyung of Criminal Division 1 at the Incheon District Court sentenced the teenager, identified as A, to an indeterminate prison term ranging from one year and six months to two years, and ordered him into legal custody during the sentencing hearing held today (16th).

Under the Juvenile Act, minors under the age of 19 who commit crimes can be sentenced to indeterminate prison terms with upper and lower limits divided into long and short terms.

Judge Lee explained, "It appears that defendant A committed the crime at the young age of 16 to 17, while emotionally immature and swept up in distorted sexual impulses and curiosity," adding, "It seems that all participants in the Telegram chat room knew the photos were synthesized and shared them, and defendant A has no prior criminal or juvenile delinquency record."

However, Judge Lee stated, "The synthesized photos and videos of five teachers distributed by defendant A clearly reveal the victims' faces, and explicitly state their real names, ages, schools, and subjects taught," adding, "Some even included mobile phone numbers or Instagram IDs."

The judge further elaborated, "This crime reduced teachers, who educate students, into tools to satisfy distorted desires, sexually degrading them, which makes the nature of the crime poor and the social blame highly severe," and added, "Teachers who suffered damage from their student are undergoing long-term psychological treatment or suffering significant trauma."

Judge Lee stated the reasons for sentencing, noting, "To participate in a Telegram chat room themed around so-called 'acquaintance humiliation,' defendant A also produced dozens of synthesized photos targeting six people, including a middle school girl who attended the same taekwondo academy, and provided some to the operator," adding, "The nature of the crime is poor and the potential for criticism is not insignificant."

When Judge Lee asked if he had anything to say regarding his legal custody, defendant A, who attended the court appearance today, briefly answered, "No."

Incheon Metropolitan City Superintendent of Education Do Sung-hoon, who directly observed the trial, told reporters after the sentencing, "Going forward, we will strengthen education for children (regarding sex) so that teachers can educate with peace of mind," and added, "We will establish thorough measures to ensure that legal support and psychological treatment support proceed without a hitch."

Defendant A was indicted on charges including using artificial intelligence (AI) in August 2024, when he was a middle school student, to synthesize the faces of five teachers onto nude photos and distribute them on social media.

The victimized teachers discovered these facts in January, but defendant A dropped out of school before a school rights protection committee could be convened, avoiding any disciplinary action.

Investigations revealed that including additional cases prosecuted during the trial, defendant A produced deepfakes 35 times targeting a total of 11 people, including five teachers.

It was revealed that defendant A meticulously planned the crime, such as tricking his former homeroom teacher into sending photos by claiming his photos and contact information were deleted after a phone format, and then utilizing those photos for deepfakes.

One victimized teacher appeared in court during the trial and pleaded, "I, who loved children more than anyone else, have come to doubt my students," adding, "Even after months of counseling, my heart sinks at the smallest camera shutter sound or the mention of deepfakes."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.