By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spanish police warned Thursday that using artificial intelligence to generate nude photos of minors can be legally considered equivalent to producing child pornography.
It comes amid a dramatic case of deep fakes in Almendralejo in the Spanish region of Extremadura.
At least 22 girls younger than 16 have told police they were victims of deep fakes. “They all reported seeing photos published on social networks in which their face could be seen on a naked body,” said Extremadura police spokesperson Mari Angeles Jimenez.
Jimenez said police have identified 10 boys responsible for creating and spreading the deep fakes, all are also minors.
Miriam Al Adib, mother of one of the victims, made a live stream on Instagram to discuss what happened. It started when her daughter, 14, told her about what was happening and eventually showed her a deep fake nude with her face on it.
“My heart skipped a beat,” said Al Adib. “If I didn’t know my daughter’s body, this photo looks real.”
Al Adib and other parents have banded together to talk to their children and offer support.
Pedro Garcia, father of one of the victims, told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that his daughter has not left her house for a week and some of the families need “psychological help.”
Javier Izquierdo from the National Police said that type of activity is punishable under Spain’s criminal code.
“Even though the images were manipulated, if they’re realistic, they’re considered child pornography,” he said, adding that any of the perpetrators older than 14 could face prison.
Producing child pornography in Spain can land someone in prison for as many as nine years.
Police are also investigating the ClothOff app, which was allegedly used in the case. It uses artificial intelligence to “undress anyone, for free,” according to the app description.
Izquierdo added that completely removing the images from the internet can be “very complicated.”