[News Today] DEEPFAKE SUSPECT SENTENCED 5-YRS

[LEAD]
As the fear and harm from 'deepfake' sexual crimes escalate, a significant verdict has been reached in the so-called 'Seoul National University Nth Room' case. Graduates from SNU have been sentenced for distributing pornographic materials featuring the faces of female alumni. The court condemned the content as "unspeakably disgusting," highlighting that the everyday lives of individuals are now vulnerable to criminal exploitation.

[REPORT]
The so-called 'Seoul National University Telegram Chatroom' incident was publicized in May.

A group of males including SNU graduates created deepfake images of their female classmates and other women and distributed them through Telegram chatrooms.

Sixty-one victims were confirmed, including twelve SNU graduates.

A 28-year-old accomplice surnamed Park was put on trial for deepfaking roughly 400 pornographic videos and photographs and distributing some 1,700 such explicit content with the main perpetrator.

The court remarked "the faked images were unspeakably distasteful and disgusting" and noted "the abuse of anonymity to objectify women, using them as a tool for stress-relief, massacring their characters."

The court sentenced accomplice Park to five years in prison, adding that "a regular, everyday act of posting photos on social media was targeted for crime and the sexual humiliation and psychological damage felt by the victims are unfathomable."

The victim's attorney said it was meaningful that the court's sentence took into consideration the fact that everyday routine was used in the crime. But she also relayed disappointment for the sentenced prison term that was shorter than the 10 years asked by the prosecution.

Kim Min-ah/ Victim's attorney
Sentences need be tougher to eradicate such crimes.

Four people were put on trial for the deepfake pornography incident involving SNU graduates, and accomplice Park was the first to be sentenced.

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