An active-duty police officer who created and shared sexually exploitative material using artificial intelligence (AI) in a Telegram chat room has been caught and arrested.

He was caught by investigators who went undercover in Telegram chat rooms to investigate distributors of sexually exploitative material.

The Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station announced today (October 4) that Inspector A belonging to the traffic division was arrested last month on charges of possessing, producing, and sharing sexually explicit material and fabricated fake videos last month.

In December of last year, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency obtained permission from the court to conduct undercover investigations to probe Telegram chat rooms where fabricated fake videos were being distributed.

Undercover investigations were introduced following the amendment of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses in September 2021, prompted by the "Nth Room" and "Doctor Room" cases. Since June of last year, based on the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, they can also be applied to digital sex crimes targeting adults.

The investigators, who infiltrated the chat room while concealing their identities and tracked the crimes, identified the distributor of illegal video materials after months of tracking.

However, upon verifying his identity, it turned out that he was an active-duty police officer working in the traffic division of the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a search and seizure operation against Inspector A last August and secured his mobile phone and computer.

In the process of analyzing the seized items, it was reported that more than 5,600 videos were found, including 2,600 fabricated fake videos, 1,600 child and youth sexual exploitation materials, and 1,300 illegally filmed videos possessed by Inspector A.

Inspector A is also suspected of not only collecting illegal videos but also directly producing and distributing them.

It is reported that from March 2022 to July of this year, spanning over four years, he used an AI application to create about 400 fabricated fake videos depicting acquaintances naked and also produced illegally filmed footage of women's bodies.

It was also found that he distributed dozens of such fabricated fake videos in Telegram chat rooms from August of last year to April of this year.

Inspector A joined the police force in December 2023, meaning he continued his crimes for nearly three years even after wearing the police uniform.

As the police investigation gained momentum, Inspector A reportedly confessed to his crimes.

The Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station stated, "Last August, a notice to initiate an investigation into Inspector A was issued, leading to his suspension from duty, and he has now been stripped of his position following his arrest."

(Photo: Yonhap News)