About 50 female students at Bacchus Marsh Grammar were targeted in the AI-generated images. (ABC News)
In short:
A string of artificial intelligence fake porn cases has prompted calls for tougher penalties.
A cyber security experts say using AI to create pornographic images of female victims is sexual abuse.
What's next?
Police are visiting schools to educate teenagers about the illegal use of AI.
A specialist in cyber safety and former police officer says Australia should not be "pussyfooting" around the consequences for young creators of fake porn AI images.
Last year, about 50 female students from Bacchus Marsh Grammar in Victoria discovered AI-generated fake naked images of themselves circulating on social media.
A teenage boy was arrested over the incident and Victoria Police said the boy was issued with a caution.
Police are investigating another incident last week in Melbourne's north-west, where as many as 60 students may have sexually explicit AI images of them online at Gladstone Park High School.
Susan McLean is a cyber security expert with Cyber Safety Solutions, and was a police officer for 27 years.Â
She said this kind of material should constitute as creating, possessing and transmitting child sexual abuse.
Online child safety expert Susan Mclean says more needs to be done to tackle online fake AI porn material. (ABC Perth: West Matteeussen)
"This is non-consensual and, in my personal opinion, should not be dealt with by the way of caution,"
Ms McLean said.
"It's basically like a telling off by police — 'don't do it again' — and they are released. It's not officially on a police record.
"That is no deterrent for the next young person and the next young person that thinks this is a good idea."
If this story has raised concerns for you:
- 1800 RESPECT national helpline on 1800 737 732
- Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028
- Bravehearts (support for child sexual abuse survivors) on 1800 272 831
- Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380
- Lifeline (24 hour crisis line)Â on 131 114
Ms McLean said it was a very gendered crime.
"We know in 90 per cent of the cases that we've dealt with … it is a male offender and a female victim, and we're not talking about one [victim],"
she said.
"Bacchus Marsh Grammar School [incident] was allegedly 50 victims, and last week at [Gladstone Park, it was] at least 60 victims.
"The impact on these young women is horrendous and I think that we need to do more to support the victims of this crime type rather than pussyfoot around the offender."
Ms McLean said the incident at Bacchus Marsh Grammar intensified calls for changes to the laws to explicitly include deep fake sexual material.
Andrew Neal says many students were unhappy with outcome of the investigation. (ABC News: Sarah Jane Bell)
'Consequences should have been greater'
Andrew Neal, chief executive of Bacchus Marsh Grammar and principal at the time of the incident, told ABC Radio Melbourne many students were unhappy with the outcome of the investigation.
"For their peace of mind, they're moving on from the matter," Mr Neal said.
"But I still think the consequence should have been greater."
Mr Neal said he hoped to speak with Gladstone Park High School about their incident, and others who had been affected.
"They are occurring far more frequently than they are reported," he said.
Gladstone Park High School declined to comment.
Victoria Police declined an interview but said in a statement sharing an explicit image or video of someone without their consent, including those that were digitally generated, was never acceptable and was against the law.
"Police, including detectives from the Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Teams [SOCIT] and Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), work tirelessly to investigate reports of the crime and support victims," the statement said.
"Police visit schools across the state to ensure students, teachers, parents and school staff know how and where to seek help."
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