Current police officer arrested for creating sexually exploitative material using AI to depict nude acquaintances

A current police officer who used artificial intelligence (AI) to create sexually exploitative videos depicting acquaintances in the nude and shared false sexually explicit videos in a Telegram chat room was arrested.

Even after receiving a suspended indictment for a similar case, he joined the police force and continued to commit crimes even after putting on a police uniform, only to be caught in an undercover investigation by another police officer.

According to Yonhap News coverage on the 4th, Captain A of Dongdaemun Police Station in Seoul was arrested last month on charges of possession of sexual exploitation material and false videos, and production and distribution of false videos.

Previously, in December last year, the Busan Police Agency received permission from the court to disguise their identity in order to investigate a Telegram chat room where false videos were distributed.

It was an ‘undercover investigation’ method in which investigators accessed chat rooms while hiding their identities and tracked criminals.

Undercover investigation was introduced in accordance with the revision of the Youth Sexual Protection Act in September 2021 following the 'N Room' and 'Doctor's Room' incidents.

Since June of last year, it can also be applied to digital sex crimes against adults based on the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.

After several months of tracking, the police infiltrated the chat room and identified Mr. A, the person who distributed the illegal video.

However, upon checking his identity, it turned out that Mr. A was a current police officer working in the traffic department of Dongdaemun Police Station in Seoul.

The person suspected of distributing illegal videos online was in reality working in a police uniform.

Last August, the police confiscated and searched Police Officer A's cell phone.

The crime stated in the search and seizure warrant at the time was the distribution of three false videos.

However, the scale of the crime revealed during the analysis of the seized items was much larger than initially expected.

Not only false videos, but also child and adolescent sexual exploitation and illegal recordings were released on mobile phones.

As a result of the analysis, the number of videos found to be in Mr. A's possession amounted to a total of 5,600, including 2,600 false videos, 1,600 sexually exploitative videos of children and adolescents, and 1,300 illegally filmed videos.

Mr. A not only collected illegal videos, but also produced and distributed them himself.

It was found that from March 2022 to July of this year, about 400 false videos depicting acquaintances in the nude were created using an AI app, and illegal footage of women's bodies was also secretly filmed.

It was also discovered that dozens of false videos were distributed in Telegram chat rooms from August last year to April this year.

Mr. A joined the police force in April 2024.

The crime, which began about two years before joining the force, continued for more than two years even after putting on the police uniform.

It was discovered that Mr. A had been investigated for a similar case even before joining the police and received a suspended indictment once.

As the police investigation began in earnest, Mr. A reportedly confessed to his crime.

Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station released a statement to Yonhap News, saying, "Immediately after the Busan Police Agency's notification of the start of the investigation, Officer A was placed on standby, and he is currently relieved of his duties." He added, "The detailed charges and investigation details cannot be confirmed."