Child abuse detectives are investigating after a number of sexually explicit, AI-generated images of female students from a school in Melbourne's north-west were circulated online.
Detective Sergeant Simon Garner from the Fawkner Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) said as many as 60 students could be impacted.
Victoria Police said they were made aware on Thursday afternoon that a number of formal photos of students from Gladstone Park Secondary College had been digitally altered and published.
"I find it quite disturbing, quite despicable," Sergeant Garner said.
"Whether they be children, adults, anybody. No one likes to have their images taken and manipulated in such a way like this.
"It's hard to believe that these kinds of platforms are out there, where they can actually do these kind of things."
Two year 11 students have since been suspended but police are yet to speak with the students and are urging them to come forward.
Police say the images were "inappropriately manipulated using artificial intelligence technology", and are still trying to determine exactly how many victims were involved.
Two students suspended but more may be involved
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Education said it was working with the school to support the students impacted.
"Misogynistic and disrespectful behaviour is unacceptable in any Victorian school," the statement read.
"Gladstone Park Secondary College has taken appropriate disciplinary action and wellbeing support has been offered to any students who need it.
"Alongside parents, carers and the wider community, schools play a critical role in stamping out disrespectful behaviour."
Sergeant Garner said support was being provided to the students and their families.
"We want to make sure they're supported, their families are supported and all the referral services have been put in place to help support them through a very difficult time," he said.
That's the end of the press conference so this is where we'll leave out live coverage.
It's not the first time deepfake explicit images have been circulated around schools.
"We're certainly putting the messages out there to say that these thing aren't acceptable," Detective Sergeant Garner says.
Detective Sergeant Garner described the images as "vulgar".
"I find it quite disturbing, quite despicable," he says.
"Whether they be children, adults, anybody. No one likes to have their images taken and manipulated in such a way like this.
"It's hard to believe that these kinds of platforms are out there, where they can actually do these kind of things."
He would not comment on the kind of penalties those responsible face but said it would be up to the courts.
On Friday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan called the incident "appalling".
"Young girls and women deserve to feel safe and respected in the classroom, in any room, in any community across our state,"
she said.
"And this behaviour breaches that trust, breaches that respect, and it holds not just women and girls back, but it holds boys and men back too."
"It's why it's so important that the programs we've got rolled out across our schools … dealing with this toxic culture," she said.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing with officers working to determine what platforms the images had been posted to.
Detective Sergeant Garner said it could be difficult to establish where they had ended up online, prompting him to urge the general public to report any images they may be aware of.
"Let us know so we can start tracking those," he said.
"We have people in intelligence areas that are trying to find out where these images, and how these images have been disseminated."