Manhattan Just Seized 12 AI Deepfake Websites Built From 1,200 Real People. Here Is Where The Line Is

The largest known seizure of AI celebrity deepfake sites is a reminder that the tools are neutral and the line is not. Real faces on sexual content is where it sits.

Published September 16, 2026 · RealAIGirls · About a 5 minute read

There’s a line this site has always drawn, and on Monday a prosecutor in Manhattan drew it in much thicker ink.

On September 14, 2026, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that his office had seized the domains of 12 websites that used AI to turn photos and videos of roughly 1,200 real people into fake sexual images and videos, and then published and sold them. His office called it the largest known seizure of AI generated celebrity deepfake websites to date.

If you make AI images of people, fictional or otherwise, this is worth five minutes of your time. Not because the law changed on Monday, but because this is what enforcement of it now looks like.

What the DA’s Office Actually Did

Here’s the core of the announcement, in Bragg’s own words from the press release:

“1,200 individuals had their faces and bodies stolen and turned into illegal pornography on 12 different websites” … “without their knowledge or consent” … “and today, my Office is announcing that we have seized these websites pursuant to a court order.”

The release says the sites were used for unlawfully disseminating, publishing and selling nonconsensual celebrity deepfake videos. According to the release as summarized by Yahoo News, the people under investigation allegedly used AI image and video creation tools to turn existing photos and videos of the victims into what appear to be hyper realistic sexual images and videos.

Some quick facts from the coverage:

• Who was targeted: most of the victims were women, including actors, athletes, musicians, social media influencers, social justice advocates and politicians. 404 Media reported the list also included first ladies of multiple countries.
• What the sites were called: FOX 5 New York reported the seized domains included sites operating under names like “AI Celebs” and “Deep Fake Porn.” The release itself does not list the sites.
• Where it stands: the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are still working to identify the administrators and operators. The announcement does not name any suspects.
• How to report: the office is asking survivors to contact its Cyber Crime Bureau at 212 335 9600.

Why a Manhattan Prosecutor Can Reach a Website Anywhere

The obvious question is how a county prosecutor gets to seize websites that could be run from anywhere on earth. FOX 5 reported Bragg’s answer: his office has jurisdiction over material that can be viewed in New York, regardless of where it was created.

The legal footing is New York law that specifically criminalizes sharing sexually explicit deepfakes, which 404 Media noted the state enacted in 2023. FOX 5 summarized it simply: New York law prohibits sharing explicit content of someone without consent, whether the content is real or artificially altered.

That “or artificially altered” is the whole ballgame. There’s no defense in the fact that the picture never happened.

This Isn’t a One Off

404 Media put the seizure in context, and the pattern is hard to miss:

• In May 2025, the deepfake site MrDeepfakes shut down after an investigation.
• In June 2026, the U.S. Justice Department and Homeland Security seized two domains.
• Earlier this month, the first person convicted under the federal Take It Down Act was sentenced to 15 years.

A year ago, a takedown of this size would have been a headline for a week. Now it’s the latest in a string of them. Bragg said in the release, as quoted by FOX 5, “We do not tolerate sexual exploitation in any form, including sharing and selling deepfake pornography.”

What This Means If You Make AI Images

Most people who generate AI portraits never go anywhere near this. But the tools are the same tools, and the lines are worth stating plainly.

• Real people are the line. An AI character who doesn’t exist is a creative work. A realistic sexual image of an actual person, made without their consent, is what Manhattan just seized 12 websites over. “Celebrity” is not a loophole. Neither is “it’s obviously fake.”
• Face swaps and reference photos count. The allegation here is exactly that: taking existing photos and video of real people and running them through AI tools. Uploading someone’s photo as a face reference for explicit output is the same act at a smaller scale.
• Where you host doesn’t save you. If it can be viewed in New York, the DA’s position is that it’s in reach.
• Selling it doesn’t make it a business like any other. These sites weren’t just posting. The release says they were selling.

The AI image community keeps getting lumped in with this stuff, and the only answer that actually works is being loud about the difference. Original characters, clear labels, and a flat refusal to put real faces on sexual content. That’s the whole policy, and after Monday it’s also the only one with a future.

Sources

Manhattan District Attorney’s Office press release, September 14, 2026; 404 Media, New York Seizes 12 Celebrity Deepfake Websites, September 14, 2026; FOX 5 New York, September 15, 2026; Yahoo News. Photo: Alvin Bragg, CmdrDan, 2023, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.