Can "Deepfake Cyberbullying" Lead to Criminal Charges?

 Posted on January 13, 2026 in Criminal Defense

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic over the past several years. People can quickly and easily use AI tools to generate all sorts of content, from essays and poems to images and videos. As these tools become more powerful, they have been able to create images that are nearly indistinguishable from photographs or videos of actual people. 

Imagery that appears to depict real people is known as "deepfakes." In some cases, people have used AI to create deepfake pornographic material that appears to show people in the nude or engaging in sexually explicit activities. This has become a concern in schools and other settings, where deepfakes have been used as a form of cyberbullying. To address this issue, laws have passed that have made it illegal to share these types of materials.

Students or others who have been accused of deepfake cyberbullying may face serious criminal charges, even if they were not directly involved in creating these materials. Because this is a new issue that is only beginning to be addressed by criminal courts, people who are facing these types of charges will need to work with an attorney who has a strong understanding of how computer crimes are prosecuted and the options for defense in these cases.

The Growing Problem of Deepfake Porn

Schools throughout the United States are experiencing issues related to cyberbullying in which students share sexually explicit images that were created using AI. The available tools make it easy for people to use photographs of actual people and generate images or videos that appear to show these people in a sexually explicit manner. Because young people often understand how to use technology in ways that adults are not fully aware of, these materials can be passed among a large number of students without school personnel or parents knowing about them.

Victims of cyberbullying involving deepfake porn can experience significant trauma. Because the images created seem real, they often have no way to prove that they are fake. As images get passed from student to student, victims may suffer embarrassment and humiliation, often leading to mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety. Their education may suffer due to a desire to avoid school.

Laws Addressing AI and Cyberbullying

In response to trends involving the use of AI, around half of the states in the U.S. have enacted laws that address pornographic images created through these tools. Connecticut is one of those states, and in 2025, lawmakers passed a law that addresses the "unlawful dissemination of intimate synthetically created images." Under this law, the distribution of computer-generated images that depict a person’s private parts or show them engaging in sexual intercourse could result in criminal charges if the sender intended for others to believe that the images were real, and the person depicted experienced emotional distress or other types of harm.

This offense may be charged as a Class D misdemeanor if a person allegedly sent pornographic deepfakes to one other person, but if the sender is accused of distributing materials with the intent to cause harm, the charges may be increased to a Class A misdemeanor. Sending deepfake porn to multiple people through electronic means, such as text messages or social media, can result in Class C misdemeanor charges, but if the distribution of materials was allegedly meant to cause harm, charges may be increased to a Class D felony.

Contact Our Connecticut Computer Crimes Defense Lawyers

As law enforcement officials take steps to address cyberbullying, people who are accused of using AI to create pornographic materials of real people and distributing these materials to others could face serious criminal charges. At Woolf & Ross Law Firm, LLC, our Hartford computer crimes attorneys can provide representation for people who are accused of these offenses. We understand the laws that apply in these cases and the digital evidence and other factors that may be involved in criminal prosecutions. We can provide a strong defense, helping young people or others avoid penalties that could affect their reputations and their futures. Contact us at 860-290-8690 to set up a free consultation and get the legal representation needed to defend against computer-related charges.