A man has been arrested in Assam's Tinsukia district for allegedly creating and circulating AI-generated pornographic content using morphed photographs of a woman. The arrest was made following a complaint lodged by the victim, police said on Sunday.
According to Dibrugarh Senior Superintendent of Police (in-charge) Sizal Agarwal, the victim approached the police on Saturday after discovering that digitally altered images and videos of her were being circulated online.
The woman had recently been in the spotlight after a purported photo showing her with an adult film actor surfaced online, falsely suggesting she had joined the adult film industry in the United States.
Accused traced through Instagram page and arrested
Police traced an Instagram page mentioned in the complaint and found a linked phone number, which led them to the accused. Agarwal stated, "The accused used the woman's photo to generate multiple obscene and pornographic videos using AI software."
The two were previously acquainted, and the accused allegedly committed the act for personal reasons.
Obscene content monetised, accused earned Rs 10 lakh
Initially intended as a form of harassment, the crime took a more serious turn when the accused began monetising the content. "There was a subscription link to the adult content that he had posted. He earned around Rs 10 lakh from it," Agarwal said.
The police believe greed pushed him to continue producing and distributing the content. The accused, a mechanical engineer by qualification, was arrested on Saturday night.
Police appeal for caution on social media
Police have seized several digital devices including a laptop, mobile phones, and hard drives. Multiple agencies are expected to assist in examining the digital evidence as part of the investigation.
Agarwal urged the public to verify the authenticity of online content before sharing it. "People need to be more responsible while accessing or forwarding information on social media," she said.
