A Perth woman is calling for stronger protections after a group of men at a Scarborough pub secretly photographed her and used artificial intelligence to generate sexualised images of her — without her knowledge or consent. Jade Helen, 29, says the disturbing incident has exposed dangerous gaps in both law enforcement and legislation when it comes to AI-generated intimate content.
What Happened to Jade Helen at the Scarborough Venue
Jade, a saleswoman, had been enjoying a quiet Friday night out with a close friend at a Scarborough venue when a group of eight to ten men nearby struck up conversation with the pair. What began as friendly banter quickly turned sinister when one of the men covertly took a photo of Jade and fed it into an AI program.
"I had no idea he had taken a photo of me, then he put it into AI and altered the picture into sexualised content," Jade said, describing how the generated image depicted her making out with several men from the group.
The men then passed the altered image around — including showing it directly to Jade and her friend — while laughing about it. A similar image was also created using a covertly taken photo of Jade's friend.
Jade said she initially dismissed the behaviour as drunken immaturity and left the venue, but later reflection — prompted by her friend — made her recognise the full gravity of what had occurred.
"They've completely degraded you and withdrew your consent from this whole interaction, and just used you as entertainment," her friend told her. "That's when I realised how messed up it was," Jade said.
She added that the ease with which AI can now be weaponised makes the threat universal. "Given AI is so common nowadays, it means someone can just take an ordinary photo of you and within seconds create something sexualised, degrading, or completely fabricated that looks really realistic. You don't even have to pose, you don't have to send any intimate images — you don't even have to know the person who's creating it, and that's frightening."
Venue Acts Swiftly, But Police Response Leaves Jade Frustrated
After processing the experience, Jade and her friend reported the incident to both the venue and police. The Scarborough pub responded decisively — identifying the individual responsible through its Scantek system and issuing a ban, despite the incident not having been reported to staff or security on the night.
"The venue took it really seriously straight away," Jade said. "They said that's not how they treat people and it's not the culture they want in their bar."
The response from law enforcement, however, was far less satisfying. In written communication seen by this publication, a detective told the women that AI-generated explicit images represent a "whole new world" for policing.
"Unfortunately, the law and law enforcement can be slow and behind the eight ball, especially when technology currently seems to change daily," the detective wrote, adding: "At this point, there is no law that determines artificial intelligent created photos or media."
The Legal Landscape Around AI-Generated Sexual Content
That assessment, while reflecting a genuine enforcement challenge, does not tell the full picture. Australia introduced Commonwealth criminal offences specifically targeting sexually explicit material created or altered using technology — including AI — though only one prosecution has been recorded under those laws since they came into effect in 2024.
Western Australia's own legislation, under section 221BC, makes it an offence to take, capture, or create an intimate image of another person without consent, and explicitly covers deepfake pornographic material. Most state laws, however, focus primarily on the distribution of such material rather than its creation — a distinction that can leave victims without clear recourse.
This tension between rapid technological change and slow-moving legislation is increasingly coming under scrutiny, with advocates pushing for a crackdown on violent and sexual content online and stronger protections for victims of image-based abuse.
Jade Demands Change
An Instagram story Jade posted about the experience sparked widespread anger across Perth, drawing community support and highlighting how common — and how easily overlooked — this form of abuse can be.
Jade says she is sharing her story to push for meaningful change. The incident underscores growing concern that women continue to face harassment in everyday public spaces, now compounded by the threat of AI-powered abuse that can occur in an instant, without warning, and leave victims with little legal remedy.
