RADNOR, Pa. (WPVI) — Radnor High School and the Radnor County Police Department are investigating an AI-generated video that allegedly inappropriately depicts several students, according to an email sent to families by Principal Dr. Joseph McNamara.
“I am writing this letter to address concerns and rumors regarding an AI-generated video that reportedly depicts several students in an inappropriate manner,” McNamara wrote. “We understand how upsetting and serious this situation is and would like to assure you that we are addressing this with the highest level of urgency and care.”
The principal said the families of the students involved have been contacted and support is being provided. The email also stated that the school immediately began an internal investigation and notified Radnor County Police.
“RPD is actively involved and we continue to work closely with them as we gather information,” McNamara wrote.
The school district declined further comment, saying only that Radnor County police are actively investigating the incident.
Action News spoke to the mother of two children who attend Radnor High School, who requested anonymity.
“My biggest concern is the psychological safety of my daughters as they go to school every day. I'm looking over my shoulder now, wondering if I should post anything on social media,” she said.
Community members expressed concerns about the broader impact of the technology.
“If we don't do anything to stop it, it's going to happen again. Who knows what will happen in a few years,” said Frank McHugh, who has relatives at Radnor High School.
“This is extremely terrible and incredibly dangerous for something like this to happen, especially to a young woman,” Meredith Criswell said.
Although major AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini have safeguards to prevent the creation of sexually explicit images, Dr. Robert Dovidio, a Drexel University criminology professor and cybersecurity expert, said unregulated apps are still widely available.
“And there's a big business surrounding this online,” Dovidio said. “These fraudulent tools allow criminals to pay a fee to do things like create sexualized images from innocent selfies.”
Lawmakers are scrambling to keep up with rapidly advancing technology. Last year, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a law banning deepfake pornography involving both minors and non-consenting adults.
“What happened in Radnor Township, we know this is not an isolated incident,” Dovidio told Action News. “And parents need to realize this. This is not indicative of a problem in the community. Yes, it's happening here, but it's happening all over the country.”
He urged parents to discuss the risks with their children.
“Now that the functionality is in the hands of the children, it's time to talk to them,” Dovidio said. “Be careful who you let into your social circle on the various social media platforms you use. Make sure you can trust them, because again, you're giving them access to your photos and videos, which they can easily weaponize against you.”
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