Morphing cases quadruple in Kerala with children among targets
Data from the State Crime Records Bureau shows 81 cases were registered in the first nine months of 2026.
Morphing cases involving non-consensual intimate imagery have quadrupled in Kerala over a four-year period, according to The New Indian Express.
State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data shows that while 19 cases were registered in 2022, the number rose to 81 in 2025. In 2026, 81 cases were recorded within just nine months.
Of the 298 cases registered between 2022 and 2026, 199 targeted women, 31 targeted men, and 68 targeted children. These images are frequently used for personal satisfaction, peer circulation, humiliation, and online sexual harassment.
SCRB IG P Prakash said AI tools on the internet can generate such photos in seconds, noting that many websites are hosted outside India. He stated that children are increasingly being found on the guilty side.
Only two accused were convicted in the cases recorded over the five-year period, while 13 were acquitted and 37 cases were disposed of by courts. Police attributed the low conviction rate to ongoing trials.
AI expert Muralikrishnan Chinnadurai said that fighting these crimes requires educating people on the ethical use of AI and equipping the enforcement system and judiciary through investment and training.