NJ high school teen accused of creating AI-generated nude photos of classmates
MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey township's board of education is acknowledging parents' concerns after state police arrested a high school student accused of creating and sharing nude AI images of his fellow classmates.
The 17-year-old student is no longer sitting in classrooms with classmates at Montgomery High School due to his alleged criminal decision.
In a message to parents, the school district said the inappropriate images were created outside of school hours and away from school grounds.
The teen was arrested by state police back in March and charged with harassment, possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation and abuse material after allegedly creating and sharing AI-generated nude images of fellow students, according to investigators.
Experts say parents must be the first line of defense in making sure their kids aren't up to bad behavior online.
"You have a teen that drives. Just because they can drive on a sidewalk and hit people doesn't mean they should," said Ben Halpert of SavvyCyberKids.org. "And so we need to teach technology lessons, kind of the same way. Just because you can use an app to create a nude image of a classmate, doesn't mean you should. So, it's all about teaching kids good judgement with tech."
Last year, then-Governor Phil Murphy signed into law, the "Take it Down Act," after a high school student was subjected to similar abuse.
Her mother, Dorota Mani, advocated for the protection that requires media platforms to take those images down. Mani says schools must take an active role in educating students against technology abuse and misuse.
"So, at this point, I think the schools have real responsibility to their students, and I'm not only talking about girls, but boys as well," Mani said. "So, we need to educate our girls that they deserve respect, they deserve accountability, but we also need to teach our boys of ethical uses of AI, and also the very real consequences which could be civil and criminal."
Because the student is a minor, the Montgomery Township School District, by law, must protect his identity and cannot comment on the case, but in its letter to parents, it did say it is cooperating with law enforcement and offering counseling for any student impacted.
They say they are also actively working to strengthen education around digital safety, responsible technology use and risks associated with artificial intelligence and social media.
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