AI-Generated Nude Images of Students Spark Controversy at Pennsylvania Private School

A Pennsylvania boy used AI to make nude images of female students. Was it illegal?

While law enforcement officials aren't answering USA TODAY's questions about the case, a lawyer representing the families involved says nearly 50 students and counting were targeted Two administrators are no longer working for a Pennsylvania school after parents say they failed to act when a male student allegedly used artificial intelligence to create nude images of about 50 girls. The images were first reported in November 2023 using Safe2Say, an app that allows community members to report harassment and other issues anonymously, according to television stations WGAL-TV and WMPT-TV. Often called deepfakes, the images are AI-generated to make it look like someone said or did something they did not. In this case, a student is accused of using photos of students at Lancaster Country Day School and altering them to make the girls appear nude. And while the photos were reported in 2023, a more in-depth investigation didn't begin until May this year, when a parent reported the situation, WGAL-TV noted. Here's what you need to know. Lawyer: Number of altered photos increasing every day As of Thursday afternoon, no charges have been filed against anyone for creating the fake nude images, Matthew Faranda-Diedrich, a lawyer representing some of the students involved, told USA TODAY on Thursday. The number of students whose photos were altered has reached nearly 50 and "the number continues to increase each day," he said. Faranda-Diedrich filed a lawsuit on behalf of the students and parents at Lancaster Country Day School on Nov. 14, he confirmed to USA TODAY. In the lawsuit, the families called for the resignation of Head of School Matt Micciche and board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff. The parents claim the school did not handle the situation properly. Last week, the school's Board of Trustees announced that both Micciche and Ang-Alhadeff were no longer working for the school, reported television station WGAL-TV. Their departure comes after the school's board of trustees announced that another school administrator, Jenny Gabriel, was resigning. The school did not say why she left, according to WGAL-TV. Faranda-Diedrich said his clients are pleased with some of the changes that have already been made at the school. The families "are looking forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the school to make other changes and improvements that will lead to greater safety for not only the victims, but for all students," he told USA TODAY. Student victim found out about fake photos from another student One student told WGAL-TV that she found out her face was used with one of the faked nude images from a fellow student. "A girl came up to me at school and told me that her, myself and several other girls at my school had photos taken of them at school, and then a boy used them to create nude images using AI and then put them in a discord group chat with several other boys from our school," the girl told WGAL-TV. The girl told the outlet she was scared the photos would follow her for the rest of her life. In August, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams' office approved a search warrant, allowing investigators to look into how the images were created. A detective from the Susquehanna Regional Police Department collected electronic devices from a former Lancaster Country Day School student's house and gathered data to analyze, WGAL-TV reported. Both Adams and Susquehanna Regional Police officials told USA TODAY on Thursday that they would not comment on the case. School's response to pornographic AI photos The Board of Trustees at the Lancaster Country Day School said in a statement to USA TODAY that the situation is "upsetting." "We are still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case," the board wrote in the statement. "What we can say is the board has made decisions that we believe are in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." Lancaster Country Day School sent the school community a letter telling parents about the images, saying school officials had looked into the tip in November 2023 but could not find proof the photos had been made, according to WGAL-TV. Administrators closed the investigation without telling police about it but relaunched it when more talk began about the images in May, WGAL-TV said. The school then sent another letter to families and said it now had evidence the altered images existed. The school said it "reported this incident to the appropriate authorities." In a letter sent to families in August, the school said it was making changes involving online safety and artificial intelligence. At the time, Lancaster Country Day School said it was changing the student handbook to let students know it's not OK to use AI to make images images such as the ones in question is a "violation of our values and honor code." Are the images illegal? D.A. previously told local media it's hard to say. When WGAL-TV asked District Attorney Adams about the images out of Lancaster Country Day School, she said she couldn't comment on the case but "under our current child pornography statute, our courts have interpreted the definition of child to mean an actual child." According to Adams, the images may not be grounds for charges. "It depends so much on the investigation, what we're able to gather, and what we're able to prove," she said. "Certainly, if the facts are there we will move forward. In the event that they are not, but there has still been some harm done, that would be very upsetting, that would be very offensive."

AI Photos Showing Girl Students With Nude Bodies Roil Private School in Pennsylvania

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AI photos showing girl students with nude bodies roil private school in Pennsylvania

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety.

AI photos showing girl students with nude bodies roil private school in Pennsylvania

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety.

AI photos showing girl students with nude bodies roil private school in Pennsylvania

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety.

AI photos showing girl students with nude bodies at Pennsylvania private school leads to investigation

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school-age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety.

A teen boy has been removed from school after fake images of nude female students appeared in a chat room

Images that depict the faces of girls with nude bodies have led to the departure of leaders from a private school in Pennsylvania, prompted a student protest and triggered a criminal investigation. A juvenile suspect was "removed from" Lancaster Country Day School and his cellphone was seized by investigators in August, Susquehanna Regional Police Department Detective Laurel Bair said Tuesday. It's the latest example of how the use of artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images with sexual content has become a concern, including within school settings. U.S. law enforcement has been cracking down on graphic depictions of computer-generated children as well as manipulated photos of real ones. The Justice Department says it's pursuing those who exploit AI tools and states are racing to enact laws to address the problem. A new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And police in South Korea are on a seven-month push to combat explicit deepfake content, with tougher penalties, expanded use of undercover officers and increased regulation of social media. Concerns in South Korea deepened after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread earlier this year. As part of the police investigation into what the Lancaster Country Day School describes as "disturbing AI generated photographs," a search warrant was used this summer to obtain an iPhone 11 linked to a 15-year-old, according to court records. The records do not identify the teen. A woman told police that her daughter said a fellow student had been "taking photographs of students and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to portray the female juvenile students as being nude," according to a probable cause affidavit used to apply for the search warrant. Matt Micciche, then the head of the school, told police the school had received a complaint about the photos in November 2023 through the Safe2Say Something program but the suspect, identified by his initials, denied the allegations, according to Bair's affidavit. When some parents became aware of the photos in May, Bair wrote, they also learned that the "AI nude photographs" had been posted in a chat room. Bair, leading the investigation because the suspect lives in the Susquehanna Regional Police Department's territory, said there has been shock at the school "that this is even occurring and that it happened within their small community." She declined to say how many girls had been shown in the images but added that more information about the case will likely be made public in the coming two weeks. Erik Yabor, a spokesperson for Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams, said Tuesday that Lancaster County prosecutors had no comment about the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle Henry's office said the agency was not able to talk about specific tips or reports made to the Safe2Say Something platform, which fields anonymous reports from students and others about safety threats. "Generally speaking, our team intakes the tips and sends them to the respective law enforcement or school personnel for review," Brett Hambright said. "We have confirmed that was done regarding the matter you inquired about." LNP in Lancaster reported that most of Lancaster Country Day's high-school age students held a walkout on Friday, Nov. 8, marching around the campus and chanting, "Hear us. Acknowledge us. See us." School was canceled on Monday. LNP said the school indicated on Friday that it had "parted ways" with Micciche and that board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff had stepped down. The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment with both of them on Tuesday. A letter addressed to the school community Monday by the Lancaster Country Day Board of Trustees said it was working to replace them and was "still in the process of finalizing the resolution to the case." "What we can say is that over the course of the past week the board was made aware of information that led us to the decision to resolve the matter," the board wrote, including acting "in the best interests of the girls who have been impacted and in the best interest of the school long term." The school said counseling has been offered to students and the institution is reviewing reporting procedures, safety practices and other policies regarding student safety.

AI Nude Photo Scandal Forces Shut Down of Private School

A scandal, which saw a teenage boy create 50 AI nude photos of his female classmates, has forced the closure of a private school. On Monday, parents forced the cancellation of classes at Lancaster Country Day School, a fee-paying school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The shutdown came amid legal pressure from parents frustrated by the school's handling of allegations that a student used AI technology to generate nude images of 50 of his female classmates. In November 2023, Matt Micciche, the then-head of the school, received a complaint anonymously about the deepfakes from a student through a school portal. The student reported that a single male student had been taking photographs of female classmates and using AI to portray the female juvenile students as being nude. The parents have alleged that Micciche failed to act on the anonymous complaint around the "disturbing AI-generated photographs," which allowed more students to be targeted for several more months. It wasn't until mid-2024 that police were informed and a 15-year-old male student was arrested. His iPhone 11 was seized as part of the police investigation to trace the origins of the images. However, parents have demanded accountability, accusing the school of neglecting its mandatory duty to report suspected child abuse. In a court summons, they threatened legal action unless the school's leadership resigned within 48 hours. According to local news outlet Lancaster Online, Micciche and school board president Angela Ang-Alhadeff ultimately stepped down late Friday. But parents criticized the delay. In a statement announcing that classes were canceled on Monday, Lancaster Country Day School -- which reportedly serves about 600 students in pre-kindergarten through high school -- offered support during this "difficult time" for the community. According to AP News, a new Pennsylvania state law that takes effect late next month explicitly criminalizes making or disseminating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The scandals came following several incidents of high-school students using widely-available AI apps to make deepfake nude photographs of their classmates -- including in schools in Alaska, New Jersey, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Earlier this year, two teen boys from Miami, Florida were arrested for allegedly making deepfake nude images of their classmates -- in what is believed to be the first-ever U.S. instance of criminal charges in relation to AI-generated nudes.

Parents Furious as School Accused of Covering Up AI-Generated Nudes of Students

A small school in Pennsylvania shut down classes on Monday after parents accused leaders of covering up an AI nudes scandal among its students. As Ars Technica reports, the parents forced members of the school's leadership to either resign or face a lawsuit, seeking criminal penalties. Days later, the Lancaster Country Day School Board of Directors announced that it had decided to "part ways" with its head of school Matt Micciche, as local outlet Lancaster Online reported last week. The board's president Angela Ang-Alhadeff also resigned. Earlier this month, law enforcement identified almost 50 victims after a fellow student used AI to generate nude images of his female classmates last year. Micciche reportedly knew about the incident since at least November 2023 after receiving an anonymous tipoff. The perpetrator's phone was seized by law enforcement in August of this year but he hasn't been charged, according to Lancaster Online. It's the latest in a string of similar incidents across the country over the last couple of years, a terrifying new reality for teens. AI fakes have quickly become the new face of bullying, enabled by the emergence of easy-to-use smartphone apps that can generate photorealistic nudes in moments. Neither students nor their parents were satisfied with the school board's handling of the situation. Earlier this month, hundreds of high school students walked out in protest. "Many feel strongly that we haven't been as open and communicative as we could, adding to their pain," Micciche wrote in a statement at the time. "We will work together with our students to find a way forward that promotes healing and will be guided by what we hear from them." But Micciche's milquetoast comments landed on deaf ears. Even following his and Ang-Alhadeff's resignation, parents told Lancaster Online on Monday that they would still pursue charges against the school. On the same day, the school announced that classes were canceled, according to the report. Beyond this one story, US lawmakers are actively debating how to protect children against the proliferation of AI nudes. But as Ars points out, their efforts have yet to solidify into actual rules, despite numerous incidents. In May, for instance, a software engineer was arrested after being accused of grooming children using AI-generated child sexual abuse material. And it's not just the US. The South Korean government is facing a similar deepfake nudes crisis, rolling out tougher punishment and regulations for offenders earlier this month.