Two men charged with creating AI deepfakes to harass women
Ottawa police arrested two men for using artificial intelligence to create fake sexual images of female victims without consent. The investigation reached beyond eastern Ontario.
Ottawa police have charged two men with creating AI deepfakes of women and using them to sexually exploit and harass them.
Stephen Lowe, 60, of Maitland, N.S., and Gregry Van Beek, 38, of West Nipissing, Ont., were arrested after a multi-jurisdictional investigation prompted by a report of harmful online content.
Lowe faces 25 counts of harassment by combination of prohibited conduct, 25 counts of uttering threats, 25 counts of publishing obscene material for distribution, and 2 counts each of printing and distributing child sexual abuse material. He was arrested in February and remains in custody.
Van Beek is charged with 2 counts of harassment by watching and besetting, 1 count of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, 2 counts of uttering threats, and 2 counts of publishing intimate images without consent. He was arrested in early May and remains in police custody.
Ottawa police said the case highlights growing challenges posed by "technology-facilitated sexual violence and the evolving nature of online harms." The matter is subject to a publication ban. A House of Commons committee has separately advanced a bill that would criminalize sexual deepfakes, including "nearly nude" images.