In 2023, 48 students at a private school in Lancaster County and 12 other students became victims of sexually explicit deepfake images generated by two classmates using artificial intelligence (AI). The students generated the pornographic images of their fellow classmates and other minors from images they found on social media accounts between October 2023 and May of 2024. Although school officials were made aware of the situation and questioned one of the students in November of 2023, they did nothing more.
Without further action, the offenders continued to create sexually explicit deepfake images, victimizing additional students. Eventually, parents of the victims notified law enforcement in May of 2024, charges were filed by local police in August 2024, and the case was prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section. The two students were adjudicated delinquent after admitting to 59 felony counts of sexual abuse of children for manufacturing child sexual abuse material, along with conspiracy and obscene material offenses, in March of 2026.
The timeline in this case is important. Parents say if the school had acted with haste, some students may not have been victimized. The Head of Schools and the President of the Board both resigned under pressure from the parents and threats of lawsuits along with school-wide walkouts by students.
What happened in our Districts should not be taken lightly: if something this heinous can happen at a private school with 600 students from pre-k through high school, it can happen anywhere.
While our communities have been rocked by this violation, yours does not have to be. This bill will make certain that law enforcement is notified at the earliest possible moment and it makes other changes that put the wellbeing and safety of our children first.
We believe this approach will adequately confront the problems we face moving forward and we ask you to please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation.