Chinese student admits making 1,141 deepfake sex images of 7 female peers; prosecutors seek 3-year term

A Chinese international student charged with creating more than 1,100 deepfake sexual exploitation images using the faces of seven female peers acknowledged all charges at his first court hearing Thursday.

Judge Kwon So-young of Seoul Northern District Court's Criminal Division 5 presided over the first hearing for the defendant, identified only by his surname Lee, a 30-year-old Chinese national detained and indicted on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes — specifically habitual editing and distribution of fabricated video material. Lee's legal team told the court he "acknowledges all charges in the indictment."

Prosecutors sought a three-year prison sentence, saying Lee's conduct was "of poor character, having produced 1,141 deepfake composite images over approximately six months." They also requested confiscation of his mobile phone and laptop, mandatory completion of a sexual violence treatment program, public disclosure of his personal information, and a 10-year ban on employment at institutions involving children, adolescents and persons with disabilities.

Victims' representatives urged the court to impose a severe sentence. Attorneys representing five of the victims said their clients "continue to suffer, gripped by fear and trauma," and that they had "no intention whatsoever of reaching a settlement or reclaiming the deposited funds."

The defense, while admitting all wrongdoing and expressing remorse, asked the court to consider that the material was never distributed externally. Lee's attorney argued that "the images were never sent to any third party or leaked through the internet or social media, and were not created with that purpose from the outset," adding that the case "differs from situations where harm has spread through distribution to an unspecified number of people."

Lee deposited 7 million won ($4,950) to each of the seven victims, totaling 49 million won, as a criminal escrow payment. His attorney said the defense had "conveyed his apology through counsel rather than contacting the victims directly, out of concern that direct contact could constitute secondary harm," and noted that Lee had no prior criminal record and had been expelled from his doctoral program as a result of the case, ending his academic career.

The attorney added that "the deposit alone does not erase the wounds the victims have suffered," but asked the court to show leniency given Lee's efforts toward compensation.

The court cleared the public gallery — retaining only parties to the case — before conducting a closed review of a CD submitted by prosecutors containing the deepfake videos and images. After examining the evidence for about 10 minutes, the court closed arguments without scheduling additional hearings and set sentencing for Sept. 10 at 10 a.m.

Lee is accused of using the faces of seven women — colleagues from the same graduate school laboratory — to create sexually explicit composite images and videos over approximately six months beginning in November last year. The crimes came to light in April, when one of the victims stumbled upon images of her own face on Lee's computer. Investigators also found records showing Lee had searched for ways to bypass the safety filters of Grok, a generative AI tool.