Unnamed police officer deepfake video — Feb 2025
A New Hampshire jury acquitted 22-year-old Jaxen Cole in the state's first trial involving allegations of fraudulent deepfake video use
- Incident date
- Feb 2025
- Target
- unnamed police officer
In February 2025, a jury in New Hampshire reached a not-guilty verdict in the state's first trial concerning the use of deepfake technology. Twenty-two-year-old Jaxen Cole faced accusations of fraudulently altering police body camera footage from his own 2024 arrest.
What happened
The case centered on a video posted to social media by Cole in early 2025. The footage utilized material legally obtained from his booking, which Cole then modified. Prosecutors argued that the video was created with the specific intent to harm or embarrass the unnamed police officer featured in the footage. Conversely, the defense maintained that the content was created as a work of parody intended solely for the entertainment of Cole's social media followers. The defense further emphasized that the video did not name the officer or the city involved. Ultimately, the jury cleared Cole of the charges, marking a significant legal outcome in a case involving the intersection of digital media manipulation and free expression.