Teenagers arrested for trading deepfake sex videos of celebrities

Three teenagers who traded sexually exploitative deepfake videos targeting female celebrities were arrested, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Thursday.

A screen capture image released by police shows text messages exchanged between one of the teenagers accused of selling deepfake pornographic content and a potential buyer. [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

Three teenagers who traded sexually exploitative deepfake videos targeting female celebrities were arrested, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Thursday.

The trio were accused of uploading and selling approximately 1,380 pornographic deepfake videos on their Telegram channel between last November and this July. More than 20 female celebrities were victims of the deepfake videos, which included underage celebrities, according to the police.

The police charged all three with violating the Juvenile Protection Act and the Act on Special Cases concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Of the three, two are currently detained.

Along with the three underage suspects, the police are investigating 24 other people in their teens and 20s who purchased and watched deepfake clips on the trio’s Telegram channel. The police said all suspects have been ordered to delete any deepfake content they have downloaded to prevent redistribution.

Police are tracing 80 other users who paid money to the three main teenage suspects to access deepfake content on their Telegram channel.

It was reported that the buyers wired between 20,000 won ($15.05) and 40,000 won to the teenage suspects for access to the Telegram channel where the deepfake videos were posted.

The teenage suspects stated that they sold sexually exploitative deepfake content of Korean celebrities after downloading them from overseas Telegram channels.

Based on the findings of their investigation and the suspects’ statements, police assume that the underage suspects did not create deepfake pornographic content on their own. Their Telegram channel was also shut down after police launched the investigation.

According to police, the investigation began in April and led to the capture of key suspects in June. Authorities have also seized criminal proceeds totaling 10 million won at one teenage suspect’s residence.

A police official warned that people who have “watched, obtained or purchased sexually exploitative content that depicts children and minors will be imprisoned over a year according to relevant laws," according to a report from Yonhap New Agency on Thursday.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, JANG GU-SEUL [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]