"I Now Doubt My Students"... Teachers Devastated by Student Deepfake Scandal - 아시아경제

Teachers at a middle school have expressed profound emotional distress after discovering that a student created and distributed sexually explicit deepfake materials using their likenesses. During a June 2026 sentencing hearing at the Incheon District Court, victims testified to the lasting psychological trauma and shattered professional trust caused by these digital crimes.

What happened

In August 2024, a middle school student identified as defendant A used artificial intelligence to superimpose the faces of five teachers onto nude images. The defendant meticulously facilitated the crime by deceiving his homeroom teacher into sending personal photos under the pretense of a phone reset. These images were then utilized to produce fabricated content. The student was indicted for creating deepfake videos on 35 separate occasions, targeting a total of 11 individuals. The victims discovered the abuse in January 2026, though the perpetrator withdrew from the school before internal disciplinary measures could be enacted. Prosecutors have requested an indeterminate prison sentence, citing the permanent nature of digital sexual exploitation and the severe impact on the victims, who now report difficulty performing their teaching duties and living with constant fear and distrust of students.