A major religious school has faced criticism from parents after reports emerged that AI-generated deepfake pornographic content involving their daughters was circulated in a group chat. The Friends’ School, which is the largest Quaker school globally situated in Tasmania, Australia, confirmed that several girls had their images manipulated to create deepfake pornographic material using advanced AI technology. Deepfakes are altered images or videos where a person’s face or body is digitally modified to create a false representation of them, typically for explicit purposes.
According to Tasmania Police, 21 victims, including the daughters of some parents, were identified in this incident. Subsequently, five male students have reportedly left the school after being implicated as producers and distributors of this illicit material. Parents revealed that they were individually informed about the crimes involving their daughters but chose not to disclose the details to the girls to shield them from the abuse.
Concerned parents shared their distressing experiences, with one mother recounting how she learned about the scandal through her daughter in early March. The school informed her about her daughter’s involvement only after the police intervention, suggesting that many parents opted not to inform their children about the situation. Another parent expressed shock upon learning that her daughter’s image was used to create deepfake pornography and echoed the same sentiment regarding other parents’ decisions to keep their daughters unaware of the incident.
The affected parents highlighted the lack of communication and support provided to the victims, leaving them feeling isolated and unsure of how to cope with the aftermath. Some parents reached out to Tasmania’s education minister, emphasizing the discomfort and confusion experienced by the girls due to the lack of transparency and support within the school community.
In response to the situation, the school’s principal assured that they promptly handled the matter in line with child safety protocols and sought external advice to address the issue. The school emphasized providing a safe and supportive environment for the affected students but did not address whether the victims were informed about the crimes committed against them or the measures taken to ensure their safety and well-being.
Tasmania Police disclosed that no charges had been filed yet, but the youths involved were being managed in accordance with the Youth Justice Act. A representative from the Victorian Women’s Trust condemned the incident as a reflection of gender-based disrespect and called for societal introspection to combat technology-enabled abuse against women and girls. The Australian government has introduced legislation prohibiting the dissemination of non-consensual deepfake adult pornography, carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
The Friends’ School has been contacted for further comments on the matter.
