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A RISING wave of technology-facilitated sexual violence, driven by artificial intelligence and anonymous online networks, is exposing victims to new forms of exploitation, blackmail and long-lasting psychological harm, according to survivor accounts and recent research.
Amanda, a part-time model in her twenties, became one such victim after responding to what appeared to be a legitimate audition call shared in a Telegram group used by freelancers in the modelling industry.
The opportunity mirrored previous legitimate job offers she had received through the same channel.
Instead, the encounter led to her being targeted by a man posing as a representative of an international agency, who used artificial intelligence to manipulate photos taken during their meeting into sexually explicit deepfake images.
He then demanded thousands of dollars, threatening to distribute the material.
“Even filing the report was so traumatising,” Amanda told The Straits Times (ST). “At that point in time, I just forced myself to do it because I didn’t want someone else to go through this.”
Despite lodging a police report, the harassment continued.
She received messages from unknown individuals claiming to have seen the images and pressuring her to meet them, while her family members were also targeted.
The perpetrator remained anonymous and continued posting audition calls until he was eventually exposed as a scammer by another user in the group.
Her experience reflects a broader and evolving pattern of image-based sexual abuse, defined as the creation, distribution or threat of sharing intimate images without consent.
While such abuse predates modern technology, experts say artificial intelligence has intensified both its scale and impact.
Research led by Dr Michelle Ho from the National University of Singapore found that nearly two in five university students surveyed between 2021 and 2025 had experienced some form of technology-facilitated sexual violence. Digital harassment was the most common, followed by image-based abuse.
“This suggests to us that technology-facilitated sexual violence rates – and by extension, image-based sexual abuse rates – have remained consistently high in the past five years,” she said.
International studies reinforce the scale of the issue. Research conducted by Google and RMIT University across 10 countries found that more than one in five adults had experienced image-based sexual abuse.
A separate study revealed that around 3 per cent admitted to creating or sharing AI-generated sexual deepfakes, while 18 per cent reported deliberately viewing such material.
The persistence of abuse is partly attributed to increasingly sophisticated tactics used by perpetrators.
Online networks distributing explicit material frequently re-emerge after being shut down, often using platforms such as Telegram and X to recruit users and circulate content.
These groups employ methods such as lottery-style promotions, cryptocurrency payments and repeated account creation to evade enforcement. In some cases, access to large libraries of explicit images is sold for a single payment, while users are incentivised to promote the networks to others.
The phenomenon is not new, but has evolved alongside technology. Earlier forms of similar abuse were carried out through platforms such as Internet Relay Chat and legacy messaging services, demonstrating a longstanding pattern of exploitation.
Brandon, a 42-year-old biomedical researcher, recounted being blackmailed in 2005 by an anonymous individual he met online.
After exchanging images, he was threatened with exposure and coerced into sexual acts. Years later, he discovered the perpetrator was someone within his own social circle.
“There was no guarantee that we would be taken seriously or that my friends’ identities would be protected,” ST cited him saying, explaining why he did not report the incident at the time.
For many victims, social stigma and lack of awareness have compounded the harm.
Natalie, now 27, described how manipulated images of her were circulated online in 2019, combining her social media photos with explicit images of another person.
“This idea of violation, it’s lost on so many people that they package it as: ‘You should take it as a compliment,’” she said. “You’re like their fantasy, so why are you making a big deal out of this?”
The images were widely shared, leading to harassment from strangers and lasting effects on her self-perception. Only years later did she come to understand her experience as image-based sexual abuse after connecting with other survivors through support networks.
Experts warn that while technology continues to evolve, the core experience for victims remains unchanged: violation, isolation and uncertainty in seeking justice against often anonymous perpetrators.
The growing prevalence of such abuse has intensified calls for stronger enforcement, greater public awareness and improved support systems, as societies grapple with the darker implications of rapidly advancing digital technologies. - May 2, 2026
