New Jersey Teen Takes Legal Action Against App Creating Fake Sexual Images
A 17-year-old Union County, New Jersey, girl sued an app for creating phony sexual photographs of her and other female pupils without consent. ClothOff, the app, violated state and federal laws, according to the October 16 lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. The complaint seeks compensation for the teen and others’ emotional and psychological harm.
The Yale Law School clinic filed the action on behalf of the girl through her parents, according to court filings. AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. and Minsk residents Alaiksandr Babicahau and Dasha Babicheva are accused of developing and profiting from the software. Telegram is also a notional defendant because ClothOff used a Telegram bot, which the company has subsequently deactivated.
ClothOff apparently turns Instagram pictures into realistic nude images. Users could pay for explicit postures, rendering non-consenting people sexualized by AI. The complaint says the visuals are lifelike and hard to discern from photos.
At 15, the kid found her photograph had been modified. Social media groups shared AI-generated pornography of other peers. Uncooperative witnesses prevented criminal charges, so the teen and her family sought civil remedies.
The teen was greatly affected. She had terrible anxiety, academic issues, and wanted to quit school. Her daily existence and social interactions are influenced by the pictures’ recurrent fear. The lawsuit aims to recoup damages and shut down the program to prevent additional abuse, according to legal experts.
The British Virgin Islands-based ClothOff is linked to at least eleven different sites. These services create millions of photos daily, including kids, according to court records. Spanish reports indicate that similar apps have targeted 11-year-olds.
New Jersey has banned deepfake pornography. Last April, a legislation criminalized deepfake sexual content development and distribution. The regulation was prompted by local school events where male students created explicit AI-generated content of female classmates.
The case emphasizes victims’ legal and emotional struggles and concern about artificial intelligence being used to create nonconsensual sexual content. Legal authorities and cybersecurity experts urge reporting apps and monitoring platforms that enable AI-generated harm.
Sources:
- U.S. District Court of New Jersey
- New Jersey State Government Official Publications
- Statements from Telegram
- Yale Law School Clinic Public Statements
