Police say Lappeenranta deepfake suspect has been threatened

Police have received reports of threats and other harassment against a minor suspected of creating AI-generated nude images of several underage girls in Lappeenranta, Yle reports. Someone has also allegedly tried to break into the suspect’s home.

Police have filed crime reports over the incidents and urged people discussing the case to calm the situation.

South-Eastern Finland Police also corrected several false claims and rumours. It has no information that the AI-generated images were distributed or sold onward.

A list of names circulating on social media was not created by the suspect, police said. It is also not a list of people involved in the case as complainants.

As the preliminary investigation has progressed, the number of complainants has become clearer and is significantly lower than initially estimated. Police know their identities and will contact them later during the investigation.

The case is currently being investigated as aggravated dissemination of a sexually depicting image of a child. The offence category also covers the production of such images.

Police said harassment, threats or other actions directed at the suspect could themselves constitute offences. It asked the public not to share possible images, name lists or other material linked to the case and said it wanted the investigation to proceed without disruption.