Residents of the Spanish town of Almendralejo are in shock after it was revealed that AI-edited nude photos of local girls have been circulating the internet in their absence.

According to the BBC, the photos in question were taken from the girls’ real social media profiles, in which they appear in clothes, however, the photos were then edited to make the girls appear naked.

So far more than 20 minors, aged between 11 and 17, have come forward as victims of using the app near Almendralejo, in the southwestern province of Badajoz.

“One day my daughter came home from school and said ‘mom there are nude photos of me’,” said María Blanco Rayo, mother of a 14-year-old girl and added “I asked her if she had taken a nude photo of herself and she denied, she said ‘no, mom, these are fake AI generated girl photos. There are other girls in my class that this has happened to.”

The BBC reports that 28 families who have experienced the same incident have formed a support group.

Eleven boys have been identified

At least 11 boys between the ages of 12 and 14 have come under the microscope of the police, who have been identified as being involved either in the creation of the images, or in their circulation through the WhatsApp and Telegram applications.

It is noted that Spanish law does not specifically cover “the creation of images of a sexual nature” when it concerns adults, however the creation of such material could be considered child pornography.

Another possible charge would be breaching privacy laws.

It is recalled that in Spain, minors can face criminal charges only from the age of 14 and over.

Investigators are also looking into an allegation that an attempt was made to blackmail one of the girls using a fake picture of her.