In addition to the well-known impacts of generic AI on the environment and human psyche, it also brings a tremendous societal burden. Deepfakes – digitally altered content that is indistinguishable from real life – have proliferated on the back of the AI boom, turning the web into a harmful slurry of half-truths and misinformation.
It has also enabled a huge increase in digital sexual crimes through deepfake porn of real people. In a recent survey Of 557 teens in the US, more than 36 percent reported that someone had created a non-consensual pornographic image of them using AI (alarmingly, more than 55 percent reported personally using AI to create deepfake porn.) There’s no doubt that the rapid rise of technology has contributed to the massive increase. sexual blackmail, non-consensual sexual abuseAnd child sexual abuse material.
Unlike the EU and China, officials in the US have been slow to respondHowever two new federal cases may signal changing winds. According till associated PressFederal prosecutors in Brooklyn have charged two people with creating deepfake porn under a new law bipartisan legislation.
The men, identified as Cornelius Shannon of New Jersey and Arturo Hernandez of Texas, are accused of creating and posting thousands of images and videos depicting actresses, singers, political figures and non-celebrity women in sexual situations. According to the Justice Department, the two were not accused of working together Press releaseBut rather to operate separate rings spreading deepfake porn.
In total, the DoJ has identified approximately 473 albums containing 140 individual victims, all of whom are women. Specifically, “the material published by Hernandez has been viewed approximately one million times,” federal prosecutors allege.
“This case makes clear that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella said in the presser, “and our office will pursue criminals engaging in this reprehensible conduct with all the legal resources the federal government can implement, including new authorities granted by Congress to address these emerging forms of psychological, reputational, and financial abuse.”
While any indictment against creators of deepfake porn is welcome news, these two are the second and third alleged offenders charged under the bipartisan “Take It Down” Act, which President Trump already signed into law. April 2025. His maximum punishment? Only two years in jail.
More on AI: Scammers are angry that their fellow criminals are using AI, saying it’s unethical
