Delhi priest arrested for AI-Generated nude images, fake social media accounts target woman

A Delhi-based priest has been arrested by the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch for allegedly using artificial intelligence tools to create and circulate explicit morphed images and videos of a woman and her mother after she rejected his friend request.

According to police, the accused, identified as Sumit Nemchand Sharma, allegedly created over 100 AI-generated nude images and videos using easily accessible online tools after downloading photographs from the victim’s Instagram account.

The woman, who is from Gujarat, had initially come in contact with Sharma on Instagram, where he engaged her in religious conversations. However, after she refused to develop a personal relationship, he allegedly began stalking and harassing her online.

Police said the accused created multiple fake accounts across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Through these accounts, he uploaded AI-generated obscene content and attempted to damage the victim’s reputation.

Investigators found that Sharma had created around eight to ten fake accounts and also operated at least three Instagram profiles and a YouTube channel using the victim’s identity.

Officials stated that the accused had searched for AI tools online using prompts like “remove clothes” and used them to generate manipulated images of the woman and her mother.

Following a complaint, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime unit launched an investigation under its initiative “Mission Cyber Rakshika: #SecureHerSpace” and traced the accused to Delhi’s Usmanpur area, where he was arrested after a raid.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and further investigation is underway.