Deepfake AI porn scandal shocks small town
A small town in Pennsylvania was rocked by an AI deepfake porn scandal. As these platforms evolve, school policies and legal measures lag far behind.
LANCASTER, Pa. – An elite private school in a small community was shaken after it was revealed in May 2024 that two male students created 347 explicit deepfake photos and videos of 60 female students.
Almost two years later, victims have told their stories in court, highlighting the long-term trauma and far-reaching effects of deepfake abuse.
On Wednesday, March 25, two former Lancaster Country Day School students were found guilty of felony counts of child sexual abuse (manufacturing child sexual abuse material) and conspiracy to commit that crime.
Many of the victims read statements in court, with some referring to one of the boys as a former close friend. One of the victims called him her “best friend” and said he betrayed her trust. Victims say the boy took photos from social media, photos from shared parties and even screenshots of FaceTime calls, passed them on to other boys, and used artificial intelligence to turn them into pornography. One of the victims said he was only 12 years old in one of the photos the boys used to create the sexual deepfakes.
Deepfake abuse is a growing problem in schools across the country, but experts warn that school policies, legal tools and education are lagging far behind. This is especially problematic for women, as the victims of this abuse are often underage and 90% of them are women, as research shows these deepfake nude images can have far-reaching and long-lasting effects.
Victims, their families, and advocates are working to prevent future incidents at other schools through awareness, education, and policy reform.
What happened at Lancaster Country Day School?
Between October 2024 and May 2024, the two boys created 347 sexual deepfake images and videos of 60 girls. Forty-eight of the victims were other students at Lancaster Country Day School, and the remaining 12 were acquaintances of the students in the photo, and all but one of the victims were under the age of 18.
The school received a tip about the deepfakes in December 2024 but failed to take action, according to an attorney representing at least 10 families in pending lawsuits against the school.
According to an investigation by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the school received additional information and filed a ChildLine report with the state in May 2024, but the criminal investigation began after a parent notified law enforcement.
“The health and well-being of our students continues to be our top priority,” Lancaster Country Day School Principal Emil Kossoff said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Our deliberate and deliberate approach is always aimed at keeping our school community informed, continuing to heal, and moving forward together.”
‘I felt physically sick’: Victims share severe trauma, nightmares and PTSD
The procedure took more than three hours. The two male perpetrators stood with their parents and lawyers and were given a chance to speak at the beginning and end, but both refused.
The perpetrators often looked down and out front as about 30 victim impact statements were read out, mostly from young female victims but also from distraught parents and prosecuting attorney Janine Swinehart. Several victims cried and struggled to read their statements, their hands shaking as they held the newspapers.
Many expressed the severe trauma that had plagued them over the past two years. They said they found it difficult to trust their male companions and constantly wondered who was cheating on them or sexualizing them. One victim said her first assailant took screenshots during a FaceTime video call to make it appear as if he was showing his body during the call.
Another victim spoke of her pain after seeing a photo of her smiling at a party turned into a pornographic image: “Some of the same people who shared that joy are now the people who took that joy away.”
“When will we as women be able to exist without being changed into something we don’t want to be? When will we be accepted as ourselves?” she continued.
The victims said they developed anxiety, panic attacks, depression and PTSD after the incident. They said they had nightmares about being sexually assaulted and were afraid to be alone at home. Some people draw their blinds and keep their doors locked because they are afraid to walk down the street. Some say their grades have suffered and some have sought therapy to process the experience. Many expressed concern that these photos would resurface when they applied for college or jobs, or met potential lovers. Fear of the unknown grips them.
Another victim said, “This robbed me of my high school experience.” School is a “living hell.” One mother said the experience still affects her daughter, who is now in college and worried about her images appearing on the internet.
Another victim told one of her assailants, “I never imagined that my yearbook photo would be used for my own gratification.” “Your actions affect me every day.”
Perpetrators must complete 60 hours of community service: “One per victim.”
Judge Leonard Brown sentenced both perpetrators to two years’ probation and 60 hours of community service each (one hour for each victim), meaning they would technically be under the supervision of the juvenile justice system but not in a juvenile detention center. At the end of that two-year period, the record is eligible for expungement. Restitution is also being sought, and lawyers for both parties said they expect it to be paid within the next 10 days. Contact with the victim, including third parties, is prohibited.
Judge Brown said that if they had been adults they would have received state prison sentences, but “the juvenile justice system offers a second chance.”
His family and supporters hope for change, saying, “This is not harmless, and this is not a joke.”
Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams has determined that Lancaster Country Day School employees are not required to report the deepfake incident to Childline or law enforcement. This is due to restrictions in the Pennsylvania Legislature that families and advocates are working to address.
Effective December 20, 2024, the Pennsylvania General Assembly amended the law to specifically include and define AI child pornography as child sexual abuse material. In some states, AI or computer-generated images are not included in existing child pornography laws.
But Matthew Faranda-Diedrich, a partner at the law firm Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld who has represented some Lancaster Country Day School families, said there is a “loophole” in the mandatory reporter law that does not require reporting “child-on-child abuse.”
State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick is a co-sponsor of a bill to reform Pennsylvania’s AI child pornography law and hopes the state’s bipartisan effort will spread across the country. In Pennsylvania, the state supports another bill that would strengthen reporting requirements for mandatory reporters.
She wants there to be “no ambiguity” about what actions mandatory reporters should take. “If you suspect there is any type of child sexual abuse material, report it.”
