Chennai police arrest man for using AI to morph women's photos for blackmail
The Greater Chennai Police have arrested a 36-year-old man for allegedly using artificial intelligence tools to morph publicly available Instagram photographs of women and minor girls into obscene images, and then blackmailing them for sexual favours.
The accused, identified as K. Padmanaban from Tiruchirappalli, is said to have created a fake Instagram account to identify potential victims and download their publicly accessible photographs. Investigators stated that he used mobile applications and AI-based software to convert these images into sexually explicit content, which he then used to threaten the victims unless they engaged in sexually explicit conversations with him.
Following complaints from multiple victims, the Cyber Crime Police of the Central Crime Branch registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The police have not disclosed the exact number of victims affected.
A senior police officer explained the modus operandi: 'He targeted women and minor girls who posted their photographs openly on Instagram. He copied those photographs and videos, and morphed them using a mobile application and AI tools. He would send them to those targets after befriending them through chats, and start harassing them. In most cases, he would compel victims to engage in sexually explicit online conversations.'
A police team led by Inspector Sujatha tracked down Padmanaban, a school dropout who is separated from his wife. He was arrested and produced before the Special POCSO Court, which remanded him in judicial custody. The police have seized electronic devices used in the offences and are examining the accused's social media accounts to identify additional victims and ascertain the full extent of the cybercrimes.
Padmanaban is also accused of driving a woman in Thoothukudi to death through continuous harassment. He had previously been lodged in prison for eight months for similar offences but continued his activities after release, police said.
The Greater Chennai Police emphasised that downloading photographs of women without their consent, morphing them into obscene images, and sharing such content are serious offences punishable under law. They advised the public not to share personal information, photographs or other sensitive details with strangers and to ensure that privacy settings on social media accounts are configured securely. People have been urged to immediately report suspicious social media accounts, online threats or similar cyber offences to the police.
