This is a crime. There is criminal responsibility.
In Salta, Argentina, eleven university women discovered their likenesses had been stripped of dignity by artificial intelligence and scattered across the internet without their knowledge or consent. A second man, 26 years old, now faces formal charges under the Ley Olimpia — a law that recognizes digital sexual violence as a genuine and prosecutable harm. The case asks a question that technology has outpaced: where does the image end and the person begin, and who bears responsibility when that boundary is violated?
- At least 43 AI-manipulated images of eleven women circulated online before authorities intervened, each one a theft of identity disguised as a digital novelty.
- The psychological toll was immediate and lasting — panic attacks, persistent anxiety, and a quiet withdrawal from public life as women deleted accounts, changed routines, and stopped walking to campus alone.
- A second suspect, 26, has now been formally charged with aggravated gender-based violence, joining the first arrested in a case that prosecutors describe as systematic and deliberate, not accidental.
- Argentina's Ley Olimpia gives investigators legal ground to act, explicitly criminalizing non-consensual intimate imagery whether real or AI-generated — and prosecutors are using it with intent.
- Authorities warn the case may not be finished: more victims could still come forward, and the full scope of the scheme remains under investigation.
In late March, eleven women at the National University of Salta made a disturbing discovery: their faces had been digitally grafted onto sexually explicit images and uploaded to a pornography site. The photos used were real — ordinary selfies and social media posts — but artificial intelligence had been used to remove their clothing. None of them had consented. None of them knew until it was too late.
The first suspect, a 28-year-old fellow student, had developed a deliberate method: sourcing images from social media, processing them through AI software, and posting the results. When investigators searched his home, they had already identified at least 43 manipulated images in circulation. This week, a second man — 26 years old — was formally charged with aggravated assault carrying the aggravating factor of repeated gender-based violence. A judge released him on conditional liberty while authorizing the extraction of data from his seized devices.
The human cost was immediate. Panic attacks. Persistent anxiety. Women restricted or deleted their social media accounts, altered their daily routines, and began attending university accompanied by others rather than alone. The dean of the Faculty of Humanities filed an institutional complaint. The women filed their own.
Prosecutor Verónica Simesen de Bielke was precise in her framing: the original photographs were authentic; the manipulation removed only the clothing. The harm, she said, was immense — and it was a crime. Under Argentina's Ley Olimpia, the non-consensual distribution of intimate material, real or AI-generated, constitutes digital sexual violence and carries criminal penalties. 'This is not a prank or harmless app use,' she emphasized. 'There is criminal responsibility.'
Authorities have urged anyone else affected to come forward, warning that more victims may yet emerge. The investigation continues, and the full extent of the second suspect's role remains to be determined.
In late March, eleven women at the National University of Salta discovered their faces had been grafted onto sexually explicit images and uploaded to a pornography website. The photographs themselves were real—selfies and social media posts they had shared willingly—but they had been digitally manipulated to show them naked. None of them had consented to this. None of them knew it was happening until they found out.
The first suspect arrested was a 28-year-old fellow student who had developed a method: he would take genuine photos from social media, run them through artificial intelligence software designed to generate fake nudes, and post the results online. It was systematic. It was deliberate. By the time investigators searched his home and seized his devices, they had identified at least 43 separate manipulated images in circulation.
This week, a second man—26 years old—was formally charged in connection with the case. A judge in the provincial capital released him on conditional liberty while the investigation continues, but authorized the extraction of data from his phone and computer, both seized during a search of his residence. The prosecutor's office in Salta announced the charge: aggravated assault with the aggravating factor of repeated gender-based violence.
The immediate aftermath for the victims was severe. Panic attacks came first, then anxiety that persisted. Several women restricted their social media accounts or deleted them entirely. They changed their routines, avoided certain places. Some could not bring themselves to go to campus alone and began attending classes with a companion. The dean of the Faculty of Humanities filed a formal complaint on behalf of the institution. The women themselves filed complaints. The damage, as one prosecutor described it, was tremendous.
Fiscal Verónica Simesen de Bielke, who is leading the prosecution, explained the mechanics of the crime with clinical precision: the original photographs were authentic, and the manipulated versions were identical except for one thing—the clothing had been removed. "The harm to their integrity is immense," she said. She also made clear what this was not: it was not a prank, not harmless fun with an app, not something that fell into some gray area of the law. Under Argentina's Ley Olimpia—a statute that criminalizes the non-consensual distribution of intimate material, whether real or artificially created, and explicitly recognizes digital sexual violence as a form of gender-based violence—this was a felony.
The prosecutor's office has warned that more victims may come forward. They have urged anyone affected to file a report. Simesen de Bielke emphasized a point she believes young people need to understand: "This is a crime. There is criminal responsibility." The investigation is ongoing. The second suspect's role in the scheme is still being determined. What is certain is that eleven women had their images stolen and weaponized, and the machinery of the law is now moving to hold someone accountable.
Citas Notables
The original photographs are real and the ones uploaded to that platform are exactly the same, except they are without clothes. The harm to their integrity is tremendous.— Fiscal Verónica Simesen de Bielke, lead prosecutor
It is important that young people understand that this is a crime, not simply using an application for fun. There is criminal responsibility.— Fiscal Verónica Simesen de Bielke
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
How did they even discover what had happened? Did someone send them a link?
Some of them found it themselves browsing, others were told by friends. Once one person knew, word spread quickly through the group. By then the images had been up for days.
And the AI part—how sophisticated does the technology have to be to do this?
Not very. There are free apps and websites that do this. A person with basic computer skills can upload a photo and get a fake nude back in minutes. That's part of what makes it so dangerous.
The first suspect was a student. Did he know these women?
Yes. He was in their classes. He had access to their real photos because they were public on social media. He knew exactly who he was targeting.
What about the second suspect? Is he also a student?
The reports don't specify his connection to the university or the victims. That's still part of what investigators are working through.
The judge released him on conditions rather than holding him. Why would that be?
Argentine law allows for conditional release in many cases, especially early in an investigation. It doesn't mean the charges aren't serious. It means the judge determined he wasn't a flight risk or an immediate danger, but he's still under scrutiny.
Do the women have any recourse beyond the criminal case?
The criminal prosecution is what's moving forward now. Civil suits for damages are possible in Argentina, but that would be separate. Right now the focus is on establishing that this is a crime with real consequences.