Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News.

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News.

Hey it's David Gurra. We've brought you stories about how artificial intelligence is changing our lives and our economy, from how it could reshape work to how it could supercharge demands for energy. Today we bring you a series about the human cost of unregulated AI and how lawmakers and law enforcement are struggling to keep up. Bloomberg reporters Margie Murphy and Olivia Carville have spent the last year digging into the stories of dozens of young women and teens in a New York suburb who found AI manipulated photos of themselves on a porn website. They had never consented to the creation of these images. When they're told there isn't much the police or anyone else can do, they decide to fight back and join a global battle against deep fakes. Here's the first episode of Marky and Olivia's six part series.

Hey it's David Gurra. We've brought you stories about how artificial intelligence is changing our lives and our economy, from how it could reshape work to how it could supercharge demands for energy. Today we bring you a series about the human cost of unregulated AI and how lawmakers and law enforcement are struggling to keep up. Bloomberg reporters Margie Murphy and Olivia Carville have spent the last year digging into the stories of dozens of young women and teens in a New York suburb who found AI manipulated photos of themselves on a porn website. They had never consented to the creation of these images. When they're told there isn't much the police or anyone else can do, they decide to fight back and join a global battle against deep fakes. Here's the first episode of Marky and Olivia's six part series.

The series explores sexualized imagery, evolving miners, and violence. Please take Kia when listening, Can we stop from the beginning? How did this will stop for you? So I can go back into it?

The series explores sexualized imagery, evolving miners, and violence. Please take Kia when listening, Can we stop from the beginning? How did this will stop for you? So I can go back into it?

I remember somehow all these pictures from my Instagram by Visco, We're all on this website. There was one picture of me in a bathing suit. Well, it was me in a bathing suit in one of my friend's backyards and I didn't have a bathing suit on anymore. And it was just me naked, well not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body parts. It was just boobs and body parts completely nude that looked so much like my own body. There were so many different pictures from my social media on essentially a porn website. I was just trying to figure out exactly, like where is this coming from? Like how are they finding my stuff? I didn't let people follow me that I didn't know, so it was always in the back of my head like, oh, it's someone that I know, But how do you find out who that someone is when you know so many people from school, soccer, all these things.

I remember somehow all these pictures from my Instagram by Visco, We're all on this website. There was one picture of me in a bathing suit. Well, it was me in a bathing suit in one of my friend's backyards and I didn't have a bathing suit on anymore. And it was just me naked, well not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body parts. It was just boobs and body parts completely nude that looked so much like my own body. There were so many different pictures from my social media on essentially a porn website. I was just trying to figure out exactly, like where is this coming from? Like how are they finding my stuff? I didn't let people follow me that I didn't know, so it was always in the back of my head like, oh, it's someone that I know, But how do you find out who that someone is when you know so many people from school, soccer, all these things.

Did you ever have any suspicions as to who it was back then?

Did you ever have any suspicions as to who it was back then?

No, not at all. It was always like, why is this happening? Who is this?

No, not at all. It was always like, why is this happening? Who is this?

Kayla was twenty years old and living at home with her parents in a town that was once the picture of the American dream, a Long Island suburb called Leavittown. We're driving around Leavittown. A lot of white picket fences, a lot of American flags. It has the feel of going back in time.

Kayla was twenty years old and living at home with her parents in a town that was once the picture of the American dream, a Long Island suburb called Leavittown. We're driving around Leavittown. A lot of white picket fences, a lot of American flags. It has the feel of going back in time.

Levittown one of the most remarkable housing developments ever conceived.

Levittown one of the most remarkable housing developments ever conceived.

It's the kind of America that makes you think of the nineteen fifties cookie cutter single family houses, like someone hit control C on the ideal suburban house and then pasted it over and over on street after street.

It's the kind of America that makes you think of the nineteen fifties cookie cutter single family houses, like someone hit control C on the ideal suburban house and then pasted it over and over on street after street.

The idea that came to a man named Bill Levitt was this, why not apply to the building of houses the same principles that have brought other American industries to their own exceled peaks of efficiency and service.

The idea that came to a man named Bill Levitt was this, why not apply to the building of houses the same principles that have brought other American industries to their own exceled peaks of efficiency and service.

Leavettown was built for veterans returning from World War II as the picture of white suburbia, perfect houses, manicured.

Leavettown was built for veterans returning from World War II as the picture of white suburbia, perfect houses, manicured.

Lawns started here and there.

Lawns started here and there.

Throughout the huge area are shopping centers where every type of product or service is readily available Hue Stars five and Dimes Department Store.

Throughout the huge area are shopping centers where every type of product or service is readily available Hue Stars five and Dimes Department Store.

Today we often talk about the future as digital algorithms and codes, as the architecture of our lives, But back then, Levettown was the imagined future. It just feels like quite suburban and safe. You know, it feels like the kind of place that nothing really happens around here, and yet underneath the facade of perfect order, it's here I found a story unfolding of a group of women faced with a new reality none of them wanted, a technological reality spinning out of control. It's like, this is not the setting for a horror movie, and that's exactly what played out. But this isn't your average horror story, the kind where a group of teens are hunted down until there's only one left standing. In this story, they flip the script, band together and fight back alongside some unexpected global allies, forcing law enforcement and tech companies to sit up and take notice. From iHeart Podcasts, Bloomberg, and Kaleidoscope. This is Levettown. I'm Olivia Carvill. Over the summer, our producer Julia Nutter, and I made the drive out to Long Island to meet Kayla at her family home.

Today we often talk about the future as digital algorithms and codes, as the architecture of our lives, But back then, Levettown was the imagined future. It just feels like quite suburban and safe. You know, it feels like the kind of place that nothing really happens around here, and yet underneath the facade of perfect order, it's here I found a story unfolding of a group of women faced with a new reality none of them wanted, a technological reality spinning out of control. It's like, this is not the setting for a horror movie, and that's exactly what played out. But this isn't your average horror story, the kind where a group of teens are hunted down until there's only one left standing. In this story, they flip the script, band together and fight back alongside some unexpected global allies, forcing law enforcement and tech companies to sit up and take notice. From iHeart Podcasts, Bloomberg, and Kaleidoscope. This is Levettown. I'm Olivia Carvill. Over the summer, our producer Julia Nutter, and I made the drive out to Long Island to meet Kayla at her family home.

I can hear music.

I can hear music.

How are you so nice to see It's nice to see you too.

How are you so nice to see It's nice to see you too.

How are you feeling sound good?

How are you feeling sound good?

Let me just do a quick levels check.

Let me just do a quick levels check.

Oh do you want me to put the bird in another room?

Oh do you want me to put the bird in another room?

I don't even hear the bird. Oh my god, the bird.

I don't even hear the bird. Oh my god, the bird.

Kayla is like a firecracker. She's small but loud, with brightly colored hair. Every time I've seen her, her hair is a different color. She's covered in tattoos and piercings.

Kayla is like a firecracker. She's small but loud, with brightly colored hair. Every time I've seen her, her hair is a different color. She's covered in tattoos and piercings.

I was like, Oh, yeah, what kind of bird is that?

I was like, Oh, yeah, what kind of bird is that?

A parrokeet so he likes to talk to himself a lot.

A parrokeet so he likes to talk to himself a lot.

Do you feel comfortable showing us where you were when you discovered the website? When you were showing it, yeah, it's a little messy. Kayla's twenty four now. When we visited her, she was living in the same house she grew up in.

Do you feel comfortable showing us where you were when you discovered the website? When you were showing it, yeah, it's a little messy. Kayla's twenty four now. When we visited her, she was living in the same house she grew up in.

Well, I see all.

Well, I see all.

Your plants and it's great, as you could tell. I love my books.

Your plants and it's great, as you could tell. I love my books.

In high school, Kayla was an elite athlete and a girl who moved easily between friend groups.

In high school, Kayla was an elite athlete and a girl who moved easily between friend groups.

People make it seem like there's either the popular group or you know, so called nerds. I would like to say I was in the middle of it because I hung out with a lot of the sports people who were considered popular. But I had my friends who we would just sit around and play video games, hang out, do funny things, and make videos of us doing stupid little things. I say this to my friends actually all the time. I may not dress like it, but my inner person is kind of emo. I listen to a lot of dark music.

People make it seem like there's either the popular group or you know, so called nerds. I would like to say I was in the middle of it because I hung out with a lot of the sports people who were considered popular. But I had my friends who we would just sit around and play video games, hang out, do funny things, and make videos of us doing stupid little things. I say this to my friends actually all the time. I may not dress like it, but my inner person is kind of emo. I listen to a lot of dark music.

Now.

Now.

I have the tattoos all over, I piercings all over, and I truly just like It's not like I like the color black. I just like I changed a lot. I have a really big book tattoo on my leg. I have a big wrap around plants because my whole leg is going to be things I love, and plants is another thing for me. This one, it's one of my favorites. It's tell Me About Tomorrow. Tell Me About Tomorrow is one of my favorite songs because whenever I'm in a depressive stea or just not doing good mentally, I play that song and it tells you to tell me about tomorrow, tell me about the next day that's going to go on in your life. When I was going through this situation, I was not mentally doing good at all, and it told me you will have tomorrow, and you can't have tomorrow.

I have the tattoos all over, I piercings all over, and I truly just like It's not like I like the color black. I just like I changed a lot. I have a really big book tattoo on my leg. I have a big wrap around plants because my whole leg is going to be things I love, and plants is another thing for me. This one, it's one of my favorites. It's tell Me About Tomorrow. Tell Me About Tomorrow is one of my favorite songs because whenever I'm in a depressive stea or just not doing good mentally, I play that song and it tells you to tell me about tomorrow, tell me about the next day that's going to go on in your life. When I was going through this situation, I was not mentally doing good at all, and it told me you will have tomorrow, and you can't have tomorrow.

It sounds like a lot of the tattoos are important to you because they represent you moving forward or healing or getting over this situation. As you described it, do you feel comfortable getting into now?

It sounds like a lot of the tattoos are important to you because they represent you moving forward or healing or getting over this situation. As you described it, do you feel comfortable getting into now?

Yes. I remember being in my bed, just laying down. It was late at night.

Yes. I remember being in my bed, just laying down. It was late at night.

This was in March twenty twenty, at the onset of the COVID pandemic. She'd recently graduated from high school and was stuck at home with her appearance.

This was in March twenty twenty, at the onset of the COVID pandemic. She'd recently graduated from high school and was stuck at home with her appearance.

I was in that corner. My bed was up against the wall. I was just laying in the bed. I'm pretty sure I was on my phone, just scrolling through Instagram or something, or on Snapchat.

I was in that corner. My bed was up against the wall. I was just laying in the bed. I'm pretty sure I was on my phone, just scrolling through Instagram or something, or on Snapchat.

She heard her dad walking up the stairs from the living room, so.

She heard her dad walking up the stairs from the living room, so.

As I can always hear when someone comes up the stairs and he knocks, he always knocks on the door. So he knocked and just like walked right in. I thought automatically like I was in trouble or something. But then I could just like tell like he was just confused, and he was like a little hesitant to like come up to me. I could tell, and.

As I can always hear when someone comes up the stairs and he knocks, he always knocks on the door. So he knocked and just like walked right in. I thought automatically like I was in trouble or something. But then I could just like tell like he was just confused, and he was like a little hesitant to like come up to me. I could tell, and.

He was just like, what is this?

He was just like, what is this?

What is this? What was he showing you?

What is this? What was he showing you?

I think it was the website.

I think it was the website.

It was the faked picture of her naked and next to it a pole asking the site's users to rank what they wanted to do to her sexually. This next part is graphic and it might be difficult to hear.

It was the faked picture of her naked and next to it a pole asking the site's users to rank what they wanted to do to her sexually. This next part is graphic and it might be difficult to hear.

It was. I always had trouble saying these pots.

It was. I always had trouble saying these pots.

It was.

It was.

Drink her purse, milk her have her drink my purse, and there was something else, and I can't entirely remember what the other one was.

Drink her purse, milk her have her drink my purse, and there was something else, and I can't entirely remember what the other one was.

So they were ranking what they wanted to do to you sexually. Yes, yeah, she kept scroll and it got worse.

So they were ranking what they wanted to do to you sexually. Yes, yeah, she kept scroll and it got worse.

We would see what they posted, like their nude pictures and them jerking off and coming on our pictures, even like pictures of our pictures with their dicks there and the ejaculation there, and then there was like some like writings of like raper. My dad was very confused. He asked me what this was and how did it get up there, and I did not know because I've never seen it before, which I obviously told him. So that's how we found out about the website.

We would see what they posted, like their nude pictures and them jerking off and coming on our pictures, even like pictures of our pictures with their dicks there and the ejaculation there, and then there was like some like writings of like raper. My dad was very confused. He asked me what this was and how did it get up there, and I did not know because I've never seen it before, which I obviously told him. So that's how we found out about the website.

Kayla says her dad is a big guy, big personality like her loud laugh. Back then, he was a police officer, a beat cop really for the Nassau County Police Department. He didn't want to talk to us for this podcast, but he's really protective of his kids, which means he regularly googles their names, searching the Internet for anything related to them.

Kayla says her dad is a big guy, big personality like her loud laugh. Back then, he was a police officer, a beat cop really for the Nassau County Police Department. He didn't want to talk to us for this podcast, but he's really protective of his kids, which means he regularly googles their names, searching the Internet for anything related to them.

For mere specifically, I was playing soccer and competitively, so when I was, you know, going to college and playing soccer. Then he just got nervous when they search things. He doesn't want dumb to see things are wrong or you know, like.

For mere specifically, I was playing soccer and competitively, so when I was, you know, going to college and playing soccer. Then he just got nervous when they search things. He doesn't want dumb to see things are wrong or you know, like.

Exactly what we found When he shows you the phone, what is the photograph on the phone that you're looking at the specific that you first see.

Exactly what we found When he shows you the phone, what is the photograph on the phone that you're looking at the specific that you first see.

I'm almost passitive. It was the one with the bikini taken off my body and it was just me naked, well not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body parts that looked exactly like my own.

I'm almost passitive. It was the one with the bikini taken off my body and it was just me naked, well not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body parts that looked exactly like my own.

Was there ever a moment, even a split seeking moment, that you thought it was you naked?

Was there ever a moment, even a split seeking moment, that you thought it was you naked?

Yes, I definitely, Like at first, like I was like, oh my god, that's me, Like how did they get that? But then I was like, no, that's in my friend's backyard. Like I was obviously wearing a bikini. And I remember the bikini. It was a blue one and it was mesh a little bit. So that's why I would think it was so easy for them to completely alter the picture. But I just like Instantly, I was like, whoa, how how did they get that picture of me? Like I never took a picture like that. It was frightening how exact it looked.

Yes, I definitely, Like at first, like I was like, oh my god, that's me, Like how did they get that? But then I was like, no, that's in my friend's backyard. Like I was obviously wearing a bikini. And I remember the bikini. It was a blue one and it was mesh a little bit. So that's why I would think it was so easy for them to completely alter the picture. But I just like Instantly, I was like, whoa, how how did they get that picture of me? Like I never took a picture like that. It was frightening how exact it looked.

The website it was on was called come On printed picks dot Com, and it encouraged its members to do exactly what that title implies, to print out photos of girls and young women and masturbate to them, and then to post a photo of the user's erection or ejaculation on top of that image. This is a practice they called tributing.

The website it was on was called come On printed picks dot Com, and it encouraged its members to do exactly what that title implies, to print out photos of girls and young women and masturbate to them, and then to post a photo of the user's erection or ejaculation on top of that image. This is a practice they called tributing.

To have to see my dad find all that and like I don't know, like just not understanding what's going on. I didn't even know anything what's going on. And then my dad just coming in and seeing all that, It's like nobody wants to see that, but like to have your dad see that, that's like not even uncomfortable, like that's not even the word for it, but just like unimaginable.

To have to see my dad find all that and like I don't know, like just not understanding what's going on. I didn't even know anything what's going on. And then my dad just coming in and seeing all that, It's like nobody wants to see that, but like to have your dad see that, that's like not even uncomfortable, like that's not even the word for it, but just like unimaginable.

I wish I could tell you that this website was tucked away in the dark Web where users needed to download a special browser or slink through some other secret cyber door. But it wasn't. It was just out in the open. Kayla was out in the open too. Postings on the site included her real name, which is how her dad found it. Sometimes the images posted to the website were actual unaltered photos revenge porn type stuff, but often the original photos were taken from innocent social media posts like Kayla's, and then the site's users turned those images into non consensual pornography, often with underage subjects. This type of photo manipulation was new to Kayla, but it wasn't new to me. I've been starting to see more of it over the past few years. I've been reporting on big tech and social media platforms what they're doing or not doing to prevent harm to kids, what guardrails they're putting up to stop exactly this kind of thing from happening, and images like these were starting to multiply with shocking speed alongside the rise of artificial intelligence. I kept hearing more and more about the dark side of this new technology, about deep fakes, altered videos online known as deep.

I wish I could tell you that this website was tucked away in the dark Web where users needed to download a special browser or slink through some other secret cyber door. But it wasn't. It was just out in the open. Kayla was out in the open too. Postings on the site included her real name, which is how her dad found it. Sometimes the images posted to the website were actual unaltered photos revenge porn type stuff, but often the original photos were taken from innocent social media posts like Kayla's, and then the site's users turned those images into non consensual pornography, often with underage subjects. This type of photo manipulation was new to Kayla, but it wasn't new to me. I've been starting to see more of it over the past few years. I've been reporting on big tech and social media platforms what they're doing or not doing to prevent harm to kids, what guardrails they're putting up to stop exactly this kind of thing from happening, and images like these were starting to multiply with shocking speed alongside the rise of artificial intelligence. I kept hearing more and more about the dark side of this new technology, about deep fakes, altered videos online known as deep.

Fakes, the rise of deep fakes.

Fakes, the rise of deep fakes.

Computer generated videos known as deep fakes.

Computer generated videos known as deep fakes.

Deep fake videos make people appear to say things they never did or never would.

Deep fake videos make people appear to say things they never did or never would.

But it's getting harder and harder to trust our eyes.

But it's getting harder and harder to trust our eyes.

And errors when I first heard about the leavett Town case. I knew the reporting was going to take me to some uncomfortable but important places, from the rise of generative AI to the explosion of deep fakes to child sexual abuse material online. I also knew that it was going to be really hard to find the victims and dive into this website on my own, so I turned to my colleague for help, Margie Murphy. She's a technology reporter at Bloomberg.

And errors when I first heard about the leavett Town case. I knew the reporting was going to take me to some uncomfortable but important places, from the rise of generative AI to the explosion of deep fakes to child sexual abuse material online. I also knew that it was going to be really hard to find the victims and dive into this website on my own, so I turned to my colleague for help, Margie Murphy. She's a technology reporter at Bloomberg.

At the time, I remember I was reporting on this new generative AI tool that people were using to create child sexual abuse material. I typically write about people who hide on the fringes of the Internet, like teenage hackers extorting global businesses, or cyber criminals using AI to scam people. Not that long ago, when I started on this beat, deepfects weren't that easy to make and kind of always had to tell if you looked at them long and you would notice something was off, yet they caught your attention.

At the time, I remember I was reporting on this new generative AI tool that people were using to create child sexual abuse material. I typically write about people who hide on the fringes of the Internet, like teenage hackers extorting global businesses, or cyber criminals using AI to scam people. Not that long ago, when I started on this beat, deepfects weren't that easy to make and kind of always had to tell if you looked at them long and you would notice something was off, yet they caught your attention.

With AI, there has been so much.

With AI, there has been so much.

Innovation, but in the last few years there have been rapid breakthroughs and machine learning.

Innovation, but in the last few years there have been rapid breakthroughs and machine learning.

Amazon investing up to four billion dollars in startup Anthropic as You're.

Amazon investing up to four billion dollars in startup Anthropic as You're.

Sat reportedly investing ten billion dollars in open AI.

Sat reportedly investing ten billion dollars in open AI.

That is, and truly hundreds of millions of dollars has flowed into image generating software powered by AI.

That is, and truly hundreds of millions of dollars has flowed into image generating software powered by AI.

Microsoft, Amazon, you name it. They are all actively investing in young AI startups because you're tried.

Microsoft, Amazon, you name it. They are all actively investing in young AI startups because you're tried.

That has made it a lot cheaper and easier to make convincing photos or videos of pretty much anything you can think of. Now, there are billions upon billions of deep fake images out there, and this probably won't surprise you, but the vast, vast majority, by one estimate, more than ninety percent of all deep fake imagery is pornographic. Typically, people who have had their image turned into porn have not consented to having their faces, bodies, or voices morphed in this way. A lot of people don't even know that these images of themselves exist. But as Olivia and I learned, Kayla's dad had found this website in a regular search of her name, and now he and Kayla knew it was there.

That has made it a lot cheaper and easier to make convincing photos or videos of pretty much anything you can think of. Now, there are billions upon billions of deep fake images out there, and this probably won't surprise you, but the vast, vast majority, by one estimate, more than ninety percent of all deep fake imagery is pornographic. Typically, people who have had their image turned into porn have not consented to having their faces, bodies, or voices morphed in this way. A lot of people don't even know that these images of themselves exist. But as Olivia and I learned, Kayla's dad had found this website in a regular search of her name, and now he and Kayla knew it was there.

Seeing what people had to say about my body as the pictures were like when I'm what thirteen fourteen, I think I instantly cried. I was just like I think I remember kind of like stating more to myself than anybody else, Like why is this happening to me? Like what is going on? Like is this even real life? I felt betrayed by my body because it felt so real, Like the pictures just seemed so real.

Seeing what people had to say about my body as the pictures were like when I'm what thirteen fourteen, I think I instantly cried. I was just like I think I remember kind of like stating more to myself than anybody else, Like why is this happening to me? Like what is going on? Like is this even real life? I felt betrayed by my body because it felt so real, Like the pictures just seemed so real.

The website he uses also encouraged each other to on the images and even harass the person being pictured.

The website he uses also encouraged each other to on the images and even harass the person being pictured.

It's unimaginable to think that people can even say how gross, like to tell you to rape me or milk me. I remember a lot of mine was with my braces, because I had braces until I was in eleventh grade, and then I had some pimples, and I would see people saying that they loved my brace face and my pimples on my face. They like, I'm younger.

It's unimaginable to think that people can even say how gross, like to tell you to rape me or milk me. I remember a lot of mine was with my braces, because I had braces until I was in eleventh grade, and then I had some pimples, and I would see people saying that they loved my brace face and my pimples on my face. They like, I'm younger.

Did you actively search through the website for all photos of you and look at other photos on there and what the people were saying, or did you just could you just not look at it at all?

Did you actively search through the website for all photos of you and look at other photos on there and what the people were saying, or did you just could you just not look at it at all?

No? I constantly looked at it. I was searching to see if there were new pictures that would be uploaded.

No? I constantly looked at it. I was searching to see if there were new pictures that would be uploaded.

After learning about the website, Kayla's biggest question was who did this? Who went through the trouble of scraping her pictures from social media, editing them to make her look naked and then posting them on this site asking others to harass her. She wanted it to stop, so she took a break from Visco, a photo sharing app.

After learning about the website, Kayla's biggest question was who did this? Who went through the trouble of scraping her pictures from social media, editing them to make her look naked and then posting them on this site asking others to harass her. She wanted it to stop, so she took a break from Visco, a photo sharing app.

Because I started to notice that was the mean place that they took my pictures from.

Because I started to notice that was the mean place that they took my pictures from.

I mean, for you, you can't unsee that that's your body and that's someone putting it out there naked on this website. How do you survive and how do you cope?

I mean, for you, you can't unsee that that's your body and that's someone putting it out there naked on this website. How do you survive and how do you cope?

I quite literally just put in the back of my head and moved on and just did not think about it, trying not to think about it. We're still on lockdown, so I was stuck with my thoughts a lot. But I was also stuck with my family. We all kind of just put it in the back of our heads and essentially basically pretended that it never happened.

I quite literally just put in the back of my head and moved on and just did not think about it, trying not to think about it. We're still on lockdown, so I was stuck with my thoughts a lot. But I was also stuck with my family. We all kind of just put it in the back of our heads and essentially basically pretended that it never happened.

Kayla didn't tell anyone about it, not even her friends, though her father reached out to his colleagues at the Nasau County Police Department. He wanted to know what could they do to help Kayla.

Kayla didn't tell anyone about it, not even her friends, though her father reached out to his colleagues at the Nasau County Police Department. He wanted to know what could they do to help Kayla.

My dad did seek advice to his buddies at work. He did ask if there was anything that they could do but his buddies really didn't know how to go about it because it's so hard to trace, like those types of websites when they're all anonymous and they're essentially a porn website, so it's really hard to trace those back to the original owner or anything like that.

My dad did seek advice to his buddies at work. He did ask if there was anything that they could do but his buddies really didn't know how to go about it because it's so hard to trace, like those types of websites when they're all anonymous and they're essentially a porn website, so it's really hard to trace those back to the original owner or anything like that.

Bear in mind, this was happening in twenty twenty, when the term deep fakes wasn't as widespread or recognized as it is now, and there weren't any laws, fred rule or in New York State at this time to prevent faked pornographic images of real people.

Bear in mind, this was happening in twenty twenty, when the term deep fakes wasn't as widespread or recognized as it is now, and there weren't any laws, fred rule or in New York State at this time to prevent faked pornographic images of real people.

I didn't really know what there was to do after my dad already tried to contact the police department and his buddies and them just telling us that, like, there really was not much that they can do going through a complete and trying to go through all the steps that it took. I just don't think I was I was strong enough at that moment.

I didn't really know what there was to do after my dad already tried to contact the police department and his buddies and them just telling us that, like, there really was not much that they can do going through a complete and trying to go through all the steps that it took. I just don't think I was I was strong enough at that moment.

And there's more time passed. Can you describe how your feelings about their website and those photos changed.

And there's more time passed. Can you describe how your feelings about their website and those photos changed.

I think after some time I stopped looking at the website put in the back of my head, but it completely altered the way that I thought about my body, and there's thing called body dysmorphia. Your brain alters the way that you look at your body, and I completely went through that. I used to feel so confident about it because I was an athlete. I felt so in tune with my body, and then I completely changed. I started having eating issues and wasn't able to eat full meals. I would feel sick after eating. I couldn't even eat three bites of food. I would eat two bites and feel absolutely disgusted in what I'm eating and disgusted in my body for wanting food. It completely changed just who I was as a person. I completely got depressed and just wasn't myself.

I think after some time I stopped looking at the website put in the back of my head, but it completely altered the way that I thought about my body, and there's thing called body dysmorphia. Your brain alters the way that you look at your body, and I completely went through that. I used to feel so confident about it because I was an athlete. I felt so in tune with my body, and then I completely changed. I started having eating issues and wasn't able to eat full meals. I would feel sick after eating. I couldn't even eat three bites of food. I would eat two bites and feel absolutely disgusted in what I'm eating and disgusted in my body for wanting food. It completely changed just who I was as a person. I completely got depressed and just wasn't myself.

And that's where the story could have ended, with Kayla's faked pictures still online and her and her dad not able to do anything about it. Her small, safe, suburban world turned upside down. But ten months later, Kayla's phone rang.

And that's where the story could have ended, with Kayla's faked pictures still online and her and her dad not able to do anything about it. Her small, safe, suburban world turned upside down. But ten months later, Kayla's phone rang.

I got a call when I was looking at my old job at a clothing store. It was around New Year's Eve. I remember it was like seven forty and I was behind the register. It was very quiet in the store, so I was just on my phone. We weren't really supposed to be on our phones. But I just remember being on my phone and I see one of the classmates. It was her dad's name popped up on my phone, which was so weird to me because I was like, I don't even have this number, why are they calling me? And I just remember the last name. And I answered and I was like hello, and she's like, Hi, this is blank. She goes, I saw you on the website. I just want to let you know I'm also on this website. And I remember just like walking away from the register and I was just like, okay, like how many other people are on there? Who do you think it is? And that's when she said, I figured out who it was. I think.

I got a call when I was looking at my old job at a clothing store. It was around New Year's Eve. I remember it was like seven forty and I was behind the register. It was very quiet in the store, so I was just on my phone. We weren't really supposed to be on our phones. But I just remember being on my phone and I see one of the classmates. It was her dad's name popped up on my phone, which was so weird to me because I was like, I don't even have this number, why are they calling me? And I just remember the last name. And I answered and I was like hello, and she's like, Hi, this is blank. She goes, I saw you on the website. I just want to let you know I'm also on this website. And I remember just like walking away from the register and I was just like, okay, like how many other people are on there? Who do you think it is? And that's when she said, I figured out who it was. I think.

In an instant. Kayla's story got so much bigger from there. It would stretch beyond her bedroom, past the high school out of Leavertown, across the country, and around the world.

In an instant. Kayla's story got so much bigger from there. It would stretch beyond her bedroom, past the high school out of Leavertown, across the country, and around the world.

What she didn't and couldn't know, but what Olivia and I would learn through our investigation was that there was a global web of cyber criminals taking advantage of a plodding justice system being pursued by online vigilantes and hackers willing to take risks the cops and prosecutors wouldn't. The story took us from New York to small town New Zealand, through the darkest corners of the Internet, back into bedroom rooms of mid century homes lined up in neat little roads. This season on Levett Town.

What she didn't and couldn't know, but what Olivia and I would learn through our investigation was that there was a global web of cyber criminals taking advantage of a plodding justice system being pursued by online vigilantes and hackers willing to take risks the cops and prosecutors wouldn't. The story took us from New York to small town New Zealand, through the darkest corners of the Internet, back into bedroom rooms of mid century homes lined up in neat little roads. This season on Levett Town.

There are things you don't want to believe about your friends. You kind of think that the people in your circle area like you put them on a pedestal.

There are things you don't want to believe about your friends. You kind of think that the people in your circle area like you put them on a pedestal.

This individual was just out to ruin their lives for no reason. There was a very new type of crime where there was a gray area to say.

This individual was just out to ruin their lives for no reason. There was a very new type of crime where there was a gray area to say.

You have certain police officers there will wait for calls that come in and then now go and respond to those courts.

You have certain police officers there will wait for calls that come in and then now go and respond to those courts.

I'm the person that will go and hunt people.

I'm the person that will go and hunt people.

They call it an arms race between law enforcement and technology, and it's just where wells we are absolutely losing.

They call it an arms race between law enforcement and technology, and it's just where wells we are absolutely losing.

This series is reported and hosted by Margie Murphy and me Olivia Carvell. Produced by Kaleidoscope, Led by Julia Nutter, edited by Nita Tuluis Semnani, Producing by Dara luck Potts, Executive produced by Kate Osborne. Original composition and mixing by Steve bone leavittown archival clips provided by Screen Ocean Clips and footage our Bloomberg editors are Caitlyn Kenney and Jeff Grocock. Additional reporting by Samantha Stewart. Sage Bowman is Bloomberg's executive producer and head of Podcasting. Kristin Powers is our senior executive editor. From iHeart, our executive producers are Tyler Klang and Nicki Etoor. Leavittown is a production of Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts. If you liked this show, give us a follow and tell your friends.

This series is reported and hosted by Margie Murphy and me Olivia Carvell. Produced by Kaleidoscope, Led by Julia Nutter, edited by Nita Tuluis Semnani, Producing by Dara luck Potts, Executive produced by Kate Osborne. Original composition and mixing by Steve bone leavittown archival clips provided by Screen Ocean Clips and footage our Bloomberg editors are Caitlyn Kenney and Jeff Grocock. Additional reporting by Samantha Stewart. Sage Bowman is Bloomberg's executive producer and head of Podcasting. Kristin Powers is our senior executive editor. From iHeart, our executive producers are Tyler Klang and Nicki Etoor. Leavittown is a production of Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope and iHeart Podcasts. If you liked this show, give us a follow and tell your friends.

Mm hmm.

Mm hmm.