a court in Pamplona sentenced a young man to one year in prison for coercion and crimes against moral integrity after using artificial intelligence to create nude images of two high school classmates and showing them publicly.
According to the court record, the defendant, if found guilty, must comply with a 300 meter distance restriction and a communication ban toward the two victims for two years and six months. Additionally, the judgment orders each victim to receive 1,500 euros in compensation.
The investigation began after a complaint filed with the Pamplona Foral Police Station. A young woman reported that a friend had received a message on Instagram containing an edited nude image of herself.
derogatory messages
Weeks later, the complainant returned to the police to report ongoing harassment. The messages, posted on social media, were degrading and humiliating and included additional altered images in which she appeared naked. The perpetrator obtained these images from her social network profile and edited them to create new nude photographs.
Subsequently, another young woman, who knew the first complainant, also went to the police after being warned by officers that a fake image of her naked body was circulating. She was contacted by the same individual who had targeted the first victim.
photo realism
Experts noted that the images could appear highly realistic. A photograph might show the victim’s face and the surrounding environment as in the original shot, yet the naked body would not correspond to those elements. The assembly quality could be so convincing that only the victim and her closest circle might suspect the manipulation.
Once the facts were brought to the attention of judicial authorities, Pamplona Instruction Court No. 4 assumed the case. The court authorized officers of the Foral Police to conduct the necessary investigations to identify the author and gather evidence for the proceedings.
In these proceedings, the focus extended to the social networks used to disseminate the content and the methods by which the images were edited. The case highlights the ongoing challenges authorities face in addressing digitally manipulated images that harm victims’ reputations and personal integrity. The findings emphasize the importance of digital literacy, swift reporting channels, and robust legal remedies for victims of image-based abuse. Attribution: Pamplona Court records.