Spanish prosecutors announced today that they are launching an investigation into fake AI-generated images of nude teenage girls allegedly created and shared by the girls’ peers. Prosecutors say they will specifically investigate whether a crime has been committed in this case in southwestern Spain.

The increase in the use of such technologies by children has caused wider concern among parents worldwide. The FBI warned in June that criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create pornographic material to intimidate and blackmail victims.

The prosecutor received from the police a 200-page file with about 20 complaints from families who complained that fake nude images of their daughters, created with an artificial intelligence application, were circulating on social media and chat networks used by teenagers in Almendralejo, a city of 30,000 inhabitants in the Extremadura region.

In Madrid, a court is investigating a similar case involving nude photos of two young victims, images the girls claim were created by artificial intelligence tools, police said.

In Extremadura, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 have been identified as responsible for creating and distributing the images, according to the police report.

The prosecutor’s office said it will review the file before deciding whether those over the age of 14 can be investigated and ultimately charged with a crime.

Under Spanish law, minors under the age of 14 cannot be charged, but their cases are referred to child protection services, which may require minors to take part in reformation classes.

Miriam al-Antib, the mother of one of the victims, said the spread of fake images on the messaging app WhatsApp began in July and continues.

“Many girls are completely terrified and have terrible anxiety attacks because they are suffering this in silence. They feel bad and are afraid to say it and be blamed for it,” she told Reuters.

Al Antib stressed that the debate on this must be included in the national political agenda, as it combines issues such as bullying, sexual violence, the sexuality of children, the objectification of women and the ease of access to pornography at a young age.

Fernando Miro, a professor of criminal law at Miguel Hernandez University and an adviser on artificial intelligence at the Council of Europe, told Reuters that any criminal liability in this case would depend on the age of the perpetrators.

If the latter are over 14, they may face charges related to child pornography and perhaps crimes such as defamation, defamation or crimes against moral integrity, he added.