Finnish police expand investigation into deepfake nude images shared on porn sites

A criminal investigation into the creation and distribution of AI-generated nude images of women from a small Finnish town has widened, with police now handling 12 reports, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported Thursday.

The suspect, a workplace safety specialist in a male-dominated field, has been dismissed from his job following Yle’s exposé last month, which revealed that dozens of women—many of them colleagues or acquaintances—had been targeted. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, did not respond to Yle’s requests for comment.

Police confirmed the investigation has expanded since the initial report, which detailed how the suspect allegedly used artificial intelligence to alter photos of fully clothed women, stripping them digitally before uploading the images to at least two pornographic websites. Six victims filed police reports during Yle’s reporting process, but the total number of affected women may exceed 50, according to Yle’s sources. Many live in the same town as the suspect.

The lead investigator told Yle that the case remains in an “acute pre-trial phase,” with officers actively gathering evidence. Charges under consideration include unauthorized distribution of sexual images and defamation. The investigator declined to confirm whether the suspect has admitted to the acts or to specify the total number of victims.

All images have since been removed from the porn sites, one of which had hosted over 300 files uploaded by the suspect. Police and victims had separately requested the takedowns, though the investigator could not say which prompt had been decisive. Among the victims were underage girls, including the 14-year-old daughter of one woman interviewed by Yle. However, child-specific offenses have not yet been included in the charges, though the investigator noted that “of course, the charges may still change.”

The suspect had previously denied knowledge of the case in an email to Yle, writing that “our legal system/police handle matters related to defamation, and that’s how fair punishments are determined.”