Instructions:
Comments closed.
Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
Please see our Commenting Policy for more.
If you get Global News from Instagram or Facebook – that will be changing. Find out how you can still connect with us.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) has charged two Edmonton students with using artificial intelligence to make child sexual exploitation images of several classmates.
Several students from an Edmonton junior high school have been identified as victims.
Investigators said a teacher at the school brought the allegations to the attention of police in late March 2026, acting on complaints from the students.
“There was discussion throughout the school that these existed and those concerns were brought forward to teachers,” said Staff Sgt. Alison Church with the joint police agency.
Church said photos of several girls were taken without their consent. Those photos and others pulled from social media were then used to develop the exploitative images with AI software. Investigators allege the boys shared the images with each other on their phones.
The two boys, both 14 years of age, are accused of taking photos of girls without their consent, as well as taking photos from their social media accounts and sexualizing them using AI software.
Const. Stephanie Bosch with the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit said she and her team are still sorting out what software was used to create the images.
The case has left the girls with intense feelings of shame and embarrassment, she said.
“There is a misconception that because it’s AI, it’s not real, that the impact is not significant,” Bosch said.
“These are very convincing images, and that’s why the impact on victims is so significant … think about how that would impact a teenager, especially considering that it impacts how their peers may view them.”
ALERT is encouraging parents to have serious conversations with their children about their online activities and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
“We’re not having conversations about the harm that could happen,” Const. Stephanie Bosch with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams said Wednesday.
“This is a new phenomenon.”
Church said youth who use AI to develop nude images need to be told what they’re doing is illegal, regardless of the ages of those involved.
“These are serious crimes. You will be held accountable,” she said.
Bosch said parents also need to teach their children about what online grooming and healthy relationships look like.
This is the second school-related incident ICE has investigated involving the use of AI and child sexual exploitation materials.
In December 2025, a Calgary high school student was charged with sexualizing photos of numerous young girls who attended high schools in the Calgary area.
Church said exploitative images generated using artificial intelligence is becoming more common.
“Anecdotally, we are hearing about this starting to happen in the schools,” Church said.
“Sadly, this is a reality of the challenges that youth, parents and police are facing with advancements in technology.”
Members of ALERT, the Edmonton Police Service Child Protection Section and the youth and advocacy organization, Zebra Centre, have been working on the investigation.
The non-profit Saffron Centre, which provides counselling, education and advocacy against sexual violence, has also been providing support to the victims.
On June 1, the two boys were charged with making and possessing child sexual exploitation materials as well as voyeurism.
The federal government is working on legislation that would ban children under 16 from social media and address deepfake images. Church said developers of nudifying AI tools should be held accountable.
ALERT said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
With files from The Canadian Press
Stick to the Facts
Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results.
The email you need for the day’s top news stories from Canada and around the world.
The email you need for the day’s top news stories from Canada and around the world.
Leave a Reply