Approximately 50 young girls have been victimised, as their faces have been used to generate explicit images.

The Victorian Premier has expressed profound distaste for the disgraceful and misogynistic act of creating manipulated, explicit images of female students at an elite school near Melbourne.

A teenage boy has been arrested after explicit images of female students were circulated online.

An investigation is currently underway following reports from numerous girls at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, north-west of Melbourne, who claim to have produced and circulated fabricated AI-nude images of themselves on various social media platforms.

Around 50 students in Years 9–12 were impacted by the explicit images, which were circulated on Instagram and Snapchat. The school confirmed that the faces of the girls had been used to create the explicit images.

In relation to the incident, Victoria Police arrested a teenager, but they have since confirmed that they have released him pending further investigation. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan emphasised the importance of showing respect towards women and girls.

“My thoughts are with the young women of Bacchus Marsh Grammar and their families – there is no place for this disgraceful and misogynistic conduct in Victoria,” Allan said.

“Women and girls deserve respect in class, online and everywhere else in our community, which is why we have made laws against this behaviour and we are teaching respectful relationships in schools to stop violence before it starts.”

In 2022, the Victorian Government implemented legislation targeting image-based sexual offences to address the concerning rise of deepfake pornography.

In Victoria, there are existing laws that prohibit the creation of intimate images that go against community standards. Furthermore, there are separate laws that address sharing or threatening to share such images.

“Officers have been told a number images were sent to a person in the Melton area via an online platform on Friday, 7 June,” police said in a statement.

“Police have arrested a teenager in relation to explicit images being circulated online. He was released pending further inquiries.”

While school principal Andrew Neal mentioned that the girls affected had their faces removed from social media prior to alteration, police are still investigating the incident. He described the incident as “obscene”.

“It’s appalling. It is something that strikes to the heart of students, particularly girls growing up at this age,” Neal said, according to the ABC.

“They should be able to learn and go about their business without this kind of nonsense.”

Neal stated that the school is currently collaborating with the police to have the images taken down. Efforts are underway to identify the individual behind the unauthorised dissemination of the images.

Neal acknowledged that, although there is a belief that the person responsible may be at the school, the police are also considering other possibilities. The police reported that they are currently conducting an investigation into the incident.

The school was first made aware of the images on Monday and has emphasised that the matter is being treated with utmost seriousness.

“The wellbeing of our students and their families is paramount,” the school said in a statement.

Bacchus Marsh Grammar is providing assistance to students and their families who have been affected by the incident. Neal assures that the incident does not represent the values of the school community.

He said the behaviour should be dealt with in “as firm a way as possible”.

Editors Publicspectrum

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