Four middle school students in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, have been booked by the police for producing, possessing and distributing deepfake pornography, according to Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency.

Police officials confirmed on Saturday that two of the four individuals are suspected of using photos of their female classmates to create sexually explicit deepfake content since November 2023.

The two students are additionally charged with possession of the deepfakes and sharing them with the other two students, who themselves are charged with possession of the content.

The four middle school students have been booked for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Under South Korean law, it is a crime to possess sexually explicit deepfake images of minors.

Based on an investigation, the police have so far identified nine victims who are all female middle school students. However, the police added that the number could increase as the investigation continues.

Regarding the investigation, police officials added that detectives had searched the suspects' homes and their mobile phones for evidence of further offenses.

The case is also being investigated by the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Bureau after initially being reported to the Namyangju Bukbu Police Station.

The incident came to light in August when the victims reported to the school that four students had created sexually explicit deepfake images of them and their friends.

The school reported the case to the Guri Namyangju Office of Education, which formed a School Violence Countermeasures Review Committee. The committee decided to transfer the two students who created the deepfake content and suspend the two others accused of possessing the content.

However, local media reports said the victims' parents have filed a complaint, claiming their children suffered "secondary victimization" due to the school's delayed response -- such as taking two months to separate the female victims from the suspects. Secondary victimization refers to further trauma experienced by victims due to insensitivity, blaming or dismissive attitudes from others.

From 2021 to August 2024, 1,727 digital sex offenses by students were reported to the School Violence Countermeasures Review Committee, according to data provided by 16 provincial and metropolitan education offices to Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party.

Out of the total number of digital sex offenses, in 765 cases, or 44.3 percent, the committee required “severe punishment” to be taken against the perpetrators.

In South Korea, cases of violence at schools are reviewed by a School Violence Countermeasures Review Committee, which meets after an investigation to confirm the incident and decide on disciplinary actions.

Punishments range from a written apology, no-contact orders or community service to more severe measures such as suspension, class transfer, school transfer or expulsion.

According to Kang, some of the reported digital sex offenses included the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake videos and using them to threaten the victim, and the illegal creation and distribution of deepfake and illegally filmed content online. There were also a few cases where the perpetrators sent messages constituting sexual harassment.

“Not only physical violence but also digital sex offenses committed online also constitute a type of school violence,” said Kang. “Active attention as well as education for the students must be provided by education authorities to prevent further victimization of students and to ultimately prevent school violence.”