State police corporal created porn deepfakes from driver’s license photos

A Pennsylvania state police corporal has admitted to a series of alarming offenses, including the creation of over 3,000 pornographic deepfakes using artificial intelligence. Stephen Kamnik, 39, pled guilty to a range of serious charges, which also include possessing a stolen firearm and having child sexual abuse material on his computer. Among the deepfake creations was an explicit image featuring a district court judge, with many others based on illicitly obtained photographs from state databases, such as driver’s licenses. Disturbingly, some of this content was generated within police barracks using state-owned devices. Kamnik's arrest occurred last year after authorities noted the unusually high internet bandwidth usage on his assigned computer and the frequent connection of an external hard drive. This raised suspicions, prompting investigations that uncovered a significant cache of illegal material. According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Kamnik exploited Commonwealth computer resources for personal gratification, which included creating AI-generated pornographic content of numerous female residents. Investigators found that he had obtained images through various unauthorized methods, including secret recordings of individuals, which included his colleagues. The investigation uncovered that Kamnik had unlawfully recorded video footage of a Montgomery County judge during a court proceeding, which he manipulated for suggestive purposes. Many of the AI-generated deepfakes used the faces of women taken from state databases, violating strict JNET usage policies, which prohibit personal use of the system. This shocking case has raised significant concerns about privacy and the misuse of technology within law enforcement, highlighting the need for stringent regulations and oversight.