When someone uses AI to create fake nude or sexual images of a real young person — often a classmate. What it is, the law, and how to get images removed.
Free 'nudify' apps and AI tools let people generate fake nude or sexual images of a real person from an ordinary photo. Increasingly this is happening between peers — a classmate's face used to make fake sexual images that are then shared in group chats. Where the person shown is under 18, the image is treated in law as child sexual abuse material, even though it is 'fake'. Sharing or threatening to share it is a criminal offence in the UK.
Someone takes a normal photo — from social media, a school event, or a shared chat — and runs it through an app that fabricates a nude or sexual version. The images can look convincing and are often circulated to humiliate, bully, or coerce the target. Unlike sextortion, there may be no demand for money; the harm is the creation and spread itself. Victims are frequently blamed unfairly, when the responsibility lies entirely with the person who made or shared the image.
1. Name it before it happens
Talk to teenagers about deepfake nudes as something that exists and is never the victim's fault. Agree that if it ever happens to them or a friend, they can tell you and you will help without judgement.
2. Tighten who can see their photos
Encourage private accounts and thinking twice before posting clear face photos publicly. Fewer public images means less raw material for someone to misuse.
3. Make schools part of the plan
Ask your child's school how it handles fake sexual images of pupils. Under KCSIE this is a safeguarding matter, not a prank, and schools should have a clear response that supports the victim.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-02