Police investigate ‘sexually explicit’ deepfake images of Melbourne students

Two students have been suspended after it was alleged AI-generated images of teenage girls from Gladstone Park Secondary College were released online.

Gladstone Park Secondary College in northwest Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

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Two students have been suspended and detectives are investigating allegations that sexually explicit AI-generated images of teenage girls from a school in Melbourne’s northwest were circulated online.

Victoria Police said an unknown number of “sexually explicit AI images” of female students from Gladstone Park Secondary College were shared online.

Detectives were first made aware of the images on the afternoon of February 20 and are still working to establish the number of victims involved.

Two year 11 students have been suspended as the school investigates the incident.

In a letter to parents, principal Veronica Hoy said the images were allegedly shared in group chats and on social media and involved other students at the school.

“Please be advised that the sending of real or fake nude images is a crime. There are clear policies in place that require schools to report such incidents to police if students are involved,” she said.

“This kind of misogynistic and disrespectful behaviour is entirely unacceptable at our school and appropriate disciplinary action has been taken.”

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the behaviour was “unacceptable in any Victorian school”, describing it as “misogynistic and disrespectful.”

“Gladstone Park Secondary College has taken appropriate disciplinary action and wellbeing support has been offered to any students who need it,” she said.

“Alongside parents, carers and the wider community, schools play a critical role in stamping out disrespectful behaviour.”

Police say they are providing support to identified victims, their families and the school and the investigation remains ongoing.

Detective Sergeant Simon Garner from the Fawkner Sexual Offences and Child Abuse team said the incident was “disturbing”, and it was difficult to know where the images were shared or how many people were involved.

“The images are quite vulgar. I don’t think anyone, whether they be children, whether they be adults, whether they be anybody, no one likes to have their images taken and manipulated in such a way like this,” he said.

Detective Sergeant Garner said it was “a very serious offence”, and they were seeing these sorts of incidents happen “quite often”.

“We’re talking about images of production, possession and distributing of child exploitation material,” he said.

Police have not yet spoken with the suspended students as officers have been unable to locate them, Detective Sergeant Garner said.

He did not confirm the penalties those responsible would face saying it was a matter for the court.

This incident comes after AI-generated nude images of at least 50 female students from Bacchus Marsh Grammar were shared online in June last year.

Sharing non-consensual, sexually explicit, digitally created material is now a criminal offence after new laws were introduced in June 2024.

A person found to have created these kinds of images can face up to seven years in jail, while a person found to have shared an image could face up to six.

Victoria Police has urged anyone with information regarding the Gladstone Park Secondary College incident to contact Crime Stoppers.