Australian man jailed for creating and distributing sexualized deepfake images of women and girls

Brisbane man Antonio Rotondo was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of 17 offenses, including distributing intimate images, distributing child exploitation material, and stalking. Rotondo was arrested on the Gold Coast in October 2023, following offending that occurred while he lived in the Philippines. He was charged with using online software to digitally alter photographs of women and girls, including high school students in Brisbane and participants in Brisbane Fashion Week, to depict them either entirely or partly naked. He then sent these images to a Brisbane private school's administration email and other recipients, and uploaded some to websites he operated. During his trial, Rotondo reportedly told police that making deepfakes was "fun" and like having "X-ray vision glasses," stating, "Everyone should live in fear of deepfakes." Judge John Allen noted Rotondo's lack of empathy and remorse, and the "profound and long-lasting" impact on the victims. Victim impact statements described the experience as "profoundly violating," "degrading," "embarrassing and betrayed," and expressed fear about the normalization of deepfake pornography. Rotondo had already served his two-year sentence while on remand but remains in custody on other charges. He was also fined $25,000 for violating a court order and ordered to pay $343,500 in penalties in a civil action by the eSafety Commissioner.