Johor police investigating teenager accused of creating explicit AI-generated deepfakes
A 16-year-old male student in Johor faces increasing legal trouble, with a total of 29 police reports now lodged against him for allegedly generating and selling explicit deepfake images of female students from a prominent private secondary school in Kulai.
Johor Police Chief Datuk M. Kumar confirmed that seven additional reports were lodged by victims, raising the total to 29 as of April 15. The teenager, believed to be the main perpetrator, has been in police custody since his arrest on April 8. His remand, initially extended, is expected to end soon, with authorities yet to file formal charges as investigations continue.
Growing Number of Victims Emerges
The suspect allegedly misused artificial intelligence technology to produce sexually explicit photos involving about 40 former and current students. The deepfake images, which distort reality by digitally superimposing faces onto explicit content, were reportedly sold online at RM2 each.
This disturbing trend surfaced after one victim, an alumnus of the school, alerted Kulai Member of Parliament, Teo Nie Ching. Subsequently, multiple victims came forward, highlighting the disturbing scale and severity of the issue. Victims range in age, with some as young as 12 or 13 years old, underscoring the urgency of addressing such misuse of technology.
Johor Education and Information Committee chairman, Aznan Tamin, expressed grave concern over the incident, stating that the Johor Education Department (JPNJ) will closely monitor schools to ensure students do not misuse technology. Aznan stressed the urgent need to tackle such acts, recognizing them as serious criminal offenses.
“This is the dark side of AI that is our concern. We do not want these students to misuse the technology,” said Aznan, adding that JPNJ, alongside district education offices and schools, will enhance monitoring and awareness programs to prevent recurrence.
Need for Digital Ethics and Institutional Reform
Young Malaysians Movement’s (YMM) Johor president, Brevia Pan Woon Shien, described the incident as a clear sign of gaps in digital ethics and sexual awareness education within schools. Pan called for comprehensive educational reforms and institutional accountability to prevent such incidents from repeating.
“This is not just a case of misconduct; it is an act of violence against individuals and a serious threat to societal ethics,” Pan emphasized, applauding victims for courageously speaking out and empowering others facing similar challenges.
Enhanced Legal Framework to Tackle Digital Abuse
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching has urged educational institutions to adopt stricter digital safety protocols in light of this scandal. Referring to amendments in the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) in 2024 and guidelines outlined by the Education Ministry in 2023, she called for broader definitions of sexual misconduct to include digital offenses.
“In today’s world, sexual misconduct is no longer limited to physical or verbal acts. It now includes digital violations, and this must be recognised in our laws and school policies,” Teo said, reinforcing the government’s commitment to protecting youth in digital spaces.
This high-profile case signals a pressing need for stronger regulatory frameworks and heightened awareness surrounding AI misuse, not only within Malaysia but also across neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. With similar technologies increasingly accessible, preventive measures must be prioritized to safeguard the digital wellbeing of young individuals region-wide.
Sources: Malay Mail (2025), The Star (2025)
Keywords: Johor Police, Deepfake Scandal, AI Misuse, Digital Ethics, Student Safety
