Sydney private school students caught selling deepfakes of female classmates

Young male students from a Sydney private school have been caught selling explicit deepfake images of their female classmates in a concerning escalation of the bullying crisis blighting NSW.

Activist, researcher and lawyer Noelle Martin is calling for urgent deepfake law reforms. Picture: Paul Kane Picture Gary Ramage

Young male students from a Sydney private school have been caught selling explicit deepfake images of their female classmates in online group chats for less than $5.

In an escalation of the bullying crisis affecting NSW schools, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal girls at two other independent schools have also had their photos used by male students to make AI generated nudes.

The incidents have prompted Emma Mason, the mother of NSW schoolgirl Matilda “Tilly” Rosewarne, who took her own life after bullying including a fake nude image of her shared on Snapchat, to call for an urgent upgrade to image-based abuse laws to criminalise the creation of explicit deepfakes.

Multiple education sources confirmed male pupils of the school were discovered selling deep fake images where female classmates’ faces were grafted onto pornographic images.

A teacher from one independent school said: “There was one incident where male students … had sold deepfakes of female classmates for less than $5 on Instagram and Snapchat. The victims and their parents were absolutely distressed by the ordeal.”

Another teacher said deepfakes were a “huge issue” at schools across NSW.

“There have been incidents at the school I teach at – some more serious than others,” he said.

“It just shows that more education needs to be done in the classroom and at home to deal with toxic masculinity among young boys.”

Male pupils from a Sydney private school were caught creating explicit deepfakes using AI software. Picture: AFP

In all three cases the male students involved were disciplined by their schools, however one of the female victims was so distressed her parents withdrew her from the school.

Collective Shout movement director Melinda Tankard Reist, who speaks in schools across Australia to address issues such as deepfakes, said young female students were experiencing “ongoing trauma” due to being depicted in explicit AI-generated images.

She said she had been contacted by at least half a dozen girls who had been targeted in deepfakes in recent months, including some who had their school yearbook photos used to create the images.

Ms Tankard Reist said she was aware of instances where male pupils had sold deepfakes to their peers.

“In some cases, the AI images have been so realistic that the victims have been accused of sending nude photos, when they in fact haven’t,” she said.

“Boys are turning themselves into self-appointed porn producers … it’s just horrific to know that female students are being targeted in this type of underground trade.”

While the eSafety Commissioner has not received complaints of students selling peers’ deepfakes, a spokesman confirmed the authority was “aware of digitally generated nude images of teenagers allegedly being sold at schools”.

Since January 1, 2023, eSafety has received 38 complaints about explicit deepfake images involving children under 18 in NSW.

A fake nude image of Matilda Rosewarne was posted on Snapchat as part of a relentless campaign of bullying. Picture: Supplied

The revelations come less than a week after The Daily Telegraph revealed at least 16 women – some working in high level public service roles in Canberra – were depicted in more than 100 deep fake nude images created by a 23-year-old ACT man.

The federal government last year introduced new laws banning the sharing of deepfakes, imposing jail terms of up to seven years.

But Victoria is the only state in Australia to criminalise the creation of sexualised deepfakes without a person’s consent.

A NSW Police spokesman said one of the most “alarming trends” police were seeing was an increase in generative AI being used to create child abuse material and deepfake sexual material.

Emma Mason’s daughter Tilly suicided in 2022 after she was subjected to relentless bullying. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Noelle Martin, who is an activist, researcher and lawyer, and who gave evidence at the Senate Inquiry into deepfakes last year, said the issue of criminalising the creation of deepfake abuse had been raised “numerous times” throughout the inquiry.

“In the inquiry, the Albanese government was urged to create a stand-alone offence that tackles the creation of this abuse,” Ms Martin said.

“The injustice that has occurred to those affected could have been avoided had the government listened to experts and acted sooner to address this gap in the law months ago.”

Ms Mason, whose daughter Tilly was just 15 when she suicided in 2022 after she was subjected to relentless bullying, declared laws needed to be “urgently changed” in NSW.

She tearfully described losing her daughter as a “tragedy” that she wanted no other family to go through.

“The fake nude image had an absolutely devastating effect on Tilly,” she said.

“There are no words in the English language to define when you don’t have your child … it’s a deep never ending sadness. We are just bereft.”

Ms Mason said it was crucial that state governments, including NSW, get on board and fix the deepfake laws.

“It’s time for all the kids that have been innocent victims of this to feel safe.”

New Findings from the NSW Parliamentary Research Service, released last week, also highlighted loopholes in the law involving deepfakes and creators of them.

The research said “limitations and uncertainties” relating to NSW’s intimate image offences could be “remedied” if they were amended along the lines of the new Commonwealth and Victorian offences.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the distribution of intimate images without consent, including intimate images that have been altered, is unlawful and should be reported to NSW Police.

“If the images depict a child under 16, this is considered child abuse material and their possession and distribution would be a crime,” Mr Daley said.

A NSW Parliamentary inquiry is under way into the impacts of harmful pornography, including deepfakes, and will next sit later this month.

Mr Daley said the inquiry findings would help the government “carefully consider how to further protect people from this kind of image-based abuse”.

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