Police have detained 16 people on suspicion of producing and distributing deepfake pornography featuring celebrities via Telegram chat rooms.

The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency’s cybercrime investigation unit said Friday that two people, both chat room operators in their 30s, were taken into custody on suspicion of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
 
One operator of a chat group that reached 140 members is suspected of creating and distributing one-thousand-100 deepfake videos of K-pop idols and other celebrities from August 2023 to March 2025.
 
Another three of those in custody are suspected of sharing illicit videos in the chat room.
 
The operator of the other chat room is suspected of indiscriminately sharing about 150 deepfake videos that also featured deep voice technology, victimizing 70 people, including singers, actors and other well-known figures, from September to December last year.
 
Twelve people have been detained so far in connection with this chat group, including a 20-something suspected of producing and distributing more than 300 deepfake videos targeting acquaintances such as middle school classmates.
 
The police agency conducted an intensive crackdown on deepfake sex crimes from August last year until early this month, tracking down suspects and making arrests in cooperation with the Telegram instant messaging service.