The mother of a 16-year-old girl whose classmates’ social media photos were “mutilated” into fake nude images says her daughter vomited when she saw them online.
Trauma therapist Emily, who did not provide her surname, said she learned on Saturday night that Bacchus Marsh Grammar students’ photos had been manipulated using AI.
About 50 girls at the school were included in the doctored images.
“I went and picked my daughter up from a sleepover and she was very upset, and she was throwing up and it was incredibly graphic,” Emily told ABC Radio Melbourne.
“As a parent, we try and educate our children, our daughters (to have) private accounts (and) hone it in … it’s just unavoidable. They were all private accounts.
“She was cropped out but there’s just that feeling of, will it come up, will this happen again.”
Emily described the incident as disturbing and said the photos were mutilated and so graphic, she almost vomited too.
“How can you reassure them that the measures are in place that it won’t happen again?”
Bacchus Marsh Grammar, northwest of Melbourne, was counselling students on Wednesday.
Acting principal Kevin Richardson said students’ and families’ wellbeing was of paramount importance to the school.
“Bacchus Marsh Grammar has been made aware of the production and circulation of video content that includes images of students from the school community,” Richardson said in a statement.
“On behalf of the persons and families affected, Bacchus Marsh Grammar is taking this matter very seriously and has contacted Victoria Police.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers arrested a teenager over the explicit images circulated online.
The boy was released pending further inquiries and an investigation was ongoing.
Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan said the circulation of the images represented .
“It is a cultural issue across our society that for whatever reason, the standards of behaviour are not being taught to young boys,” he told Nine on Wednesday morning.
Senator Matt Canavan says standards of behaviour are not being taught to young boys. Source: AAP / Darren England
“I wish I had the answers — I don’t — but I don’t necessarily think it’s something a government or a law can change.
“We’ve all got to chip in to try and make sure that young boys understand what it means to grow up to be a man and live by the standards that society expects.”
Canavan said technology had “supercharged” boys’ bad behaviour.
