THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Recalling a recent morphing case reported from Thiruvananthapuram, a senior police officer had this to say: “I don’t think these children morphed those images knowing its seriousness. It could have begun out of curiosity but the law had to take its own course.”
Incidentally, both the complainant and the guilty were students of the same school, which left even the police officers concerned about an alarming trend coming up in the state.
According to the data with the State Crime Records Bureau, morphing cases (non-consensual intimate imagery) in the state have quadrupled in four years. While the total number of morphing cases registered in 2022 was 19, it reached 81 in 2025. However, 2026 saw 81 cases being registered within just nine months, with officials foreseeing a final figure that could set off extensive discussions, if not already.
Of the cases registered in the state between 2022 and 2026, more than one-fifth -- 68 out of 298 -- were targeted at children, while 199 were aimed at women and 31 at men. The images are often used for online sexual harassment, humiliation, personal gratification and peer-group circulation, with even minors being found guilty in some cases. However, loan app scams -- demanding money by threatening people with their nude images -- have come down recently, officials said.
Despite the rising number of cases, convictions remain rare. Only two accused were convicted in cases recorded in the five years covered by the data, which police officers attributed to ongoing trials in most cases. While the accused were acquitted in 13 cases, courts disposed of 37 cases during the same period.
The increase in cases at a time when AI’s popularity has risen is not merely coincidental. State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) IG P Prakash pointed out that AI apps and websites are being actively used to generate morphed images.
“There are so many AI tools available on the internet today, which can generate such photos within seconds. There is little we can do against these websites as most of them are hosted outside India. A concerning development is that children are also being increasingly found on the guilty side,” Prakash told TNIE.
Stating that people also engage in such activities because of the enmity stirred up in their respective schools, colleges, or workplaces, Prakash added that there are cases, although rare, of morphing being used as a revenge for a breakup or marital discord.
Pointing out that people, mostly youngsters, engage in such crimes without realising the consequences, AI expert Muralikrishnan Chinnadurai said that empowerment of both education and enforcement systems is important to fight new-age crimes.
“On one side, focus must be given to educating people about the ethical use of AI and the legal implications if they do not adhere to the same. On the other, the system should also be equipped to combat AI-based cybercrimes through due investment and training for police personnel, and if required, even for the judiciary,” he said.