An investigation is ongoing in northeast Iowa after students in the Western Dubuque Community School District discovered their social media photos were used to create AI-generated nude images.
A group of students at Cascade High School allegedly attached the victims’ headshots to other images of nude bodies.
School officials were made aware of the deepfakes on March 25. The district is cooperating with the investigation led by the Dubuque County Sheriff's Office and Cascade Police Department.
“This is the tip of the iceberg. This is going to be, in my opinion, a massive problem going forward.”Joe Kennedy, Dubuque County Sheriff
“This is the tip of the iceberg. This is going to be, in my opinion, a massive problem going forward,” County Sheriff Joe Kennedy said.
Investigations into cases like these are incredibly time-consuming, Kennedy said. Because of the amount of data that needs to be pulled via subpoenas and search warrants, it takes time to comb through the results for a secure conviction.
But he says what makes these AI-generated cases even harder is the location of the AI companies. While U.S.-based companies must abide by deepfake policies, people can still access AI tools made in other countries – which means foreign companies can choose to refuse U.S. subpoenas, he said.
While Cascade’s case has made headlines, Kennedy said he’s sure this is happening all over the state. He said multiple law enforcement agencies have reached out to him for guidance.
“All we can do is, do the reports and try to get the person in front of a judge, and let the court decide,” Kennedy said.
“What a great connection tool, but boy, it comes with a whole lot of responsibility.”Dan Butler, Superintendent
KCRG first reported the victims felt angry, humiliated, and disappointed. At a special meeting last week, the victims’ parents asked the school board to respond to an 11-point petition to strengthen policies.
Western Dubuque Superintendent Dan Butler said he’s working with existing school policies that relate to the petition items. For example, digital citizenship classes are a part of school curriculum.
“It's more important than ever to provide education to kids about the impact that they have with any type of sharing of on social media platforms and so forth,” Butler said. “What a great connection tool, but boy, it comes with a whole lot of responsibility.”
Butler said he is unable to comment on how individual students were disciplined.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law last year that makes AI-generated sexual content of minors a crime. Nationally, Congress passed a bipartisan law that would make deepfake nudes a federal crime. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill.
