Two teenage boys who used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos of their classmates were sentenced to probation on Wednesday. The boys, who were 14 at the time, admitted to creating approximately 350 images depicting at least 59 girls under 18, along with other unidentified victims. The images were generated by morphing photos from school materials, social media, and FaceTime chats with adult images depicting nudity or sexual activity.
More than 100 students and parents from Lancaster Country Day School attended the hearing, where victims described the emotional and psychological impact of the images. They reported experiencing anxiety attacks, loss of trust, difficulty focusing on schoolwork, and fear that the images might resurface in the future. One victim told the judge, 'I will never understand why they did this,' adding that it 'destroyed my innocence.' Another victim said she needed trauma therapy to 'even walk around my neighborhood.'
The boys pleaded guilty to 59 felony counts of sexual abuse of children and related charges. They were sentenced to six months of probation, 60 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $12,000 to cover victims' counseling costs. The judge noted that neither boy had taken responsibility or apologized for their actions.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday emphasized the broader implications of the case, stating that the 'weaponization of technology is affecting the mental wellness of students across the Commonwealth and country.' The boys were also barred from having contact with their victims.