Seoul Police Officer Arrested Over Deepfake Sexual Images

A Seoul police officer has been arrested on allegations that he possessed, created and distributed sexually exploitative images, including artificial intelligence-generated images involving people he knew, officials said Sunday.

The officer, assigned to Dongdaemun Police Station, was formally arrested in September after investigators spent months tracing a person suspected of distributing such material through a Telegram chat room. Authorities have not publicly identified him.

Police seized the officer’s mobile phone in August. A forensic examination found about 2,600 deepfake images, approximately 1,600 images described as sexually exploiting children, and around 1,300 images that had allegedly been filmed illegally. The categories reported by investigators indicate that the device contained several distinct forms of digital sexual-abuse material.

Investigators allege that the officer used AI tools to fabricate roughly 400 nude images of people he personally knew between March 2022 and July 2026. Dozens of those images were then distributed in the Telegram chat room, according to officials. The report did not identify the people depicted, and authorities withheld further details about the investigation.

The case has also raised questions about the officer’s recruitment history. He had previously been investigated for a similar offense and received a suspended indictment before entering the police service, according to officials. A suspended indictment generally allows prosecutors to refrain from bringing a case to trial while considering factors surrounding the alleged offense and the suspect.

Dongdaemun Police Station said it placed the officer on standby immediately after learning of the case and has since relieved him of duty. A station official said police could not confirm detailed suspicions or other circumstances while the investigation remained underway.

The arrest brings renewed attention to the challenge South Korean authorities face in confronting digital sex crimes involving deepfake technology and encrypted messaging platforms. AI tools can be used to create realistic fabricated sexual images from ordinary photographs, increasing the risk of abuse against acquaintances and other identifiable people.

The allegations are particularly serious because they involve a serving law enforcement officer and material said to include children. The officer remains accused rather than convicted, and the criminal process will determine responsibility for the alleged possession, fabrication and distribution of the images.