A short YouTube video (uploaded March 10, 2025) where survivor Ellison Berry (15, Fort Worth, Texas) recounts being targeted by AI-generated explicit images circulated at school. Host Caitlin Sarian explains how predators use AI for sextortion and deepfakes, and lists immediate resources and steps victims can take: report to CyberTipline, use takeitdown.ncmc.org, and call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children hotline.
Chapters
Ellison Berry. I'm 15 years old. I'm from Fort Worth, Texas. I was a survivor of AI deepfakes. A classmate of mine targeted me and eight other of my friends and put an innocent picture off Instagram through an AI ending app that stripped our clothing off and sent it around my whole school. I was able to get in touch with Ted Cruz's office, and we were able to write up the Take It down act, which protects America's children from these heinous acts.
If you're a victim of sextortion or revenge porn, you can get help. Right now. You don't need to know Ted Cruz or wait for a new law to be passed. There's literally help, and it's free. First, let's talk about what's happening. Predators are using AI to create fake explicit images, blackmail children into sending more photos, or impersonate kids or adults. Lure kids into sending photos. And then refusing to send photos doesn't always just stop the problem. AI can fabricate one similar to Ellison's case and use it against them. But there are ways to fight back. First, report your cases to cybertipline.org they work with law enforcement and track down and stop predators. Second, use takeitdown.ncmc.org which is a free tool that removes explicit images from the Internet. The third is to call the national center for Missing and exploited children, which is 1-800-lost and it's a hotline available for both kids and adults. The last is to teach kids to question suspicious links. If something doesn't feel right, it's probably not right. And also, don't send photos to people that you've never met before, even if they seem really nice. This is happening way more than you think. So please be sure to share this video with a friend and with parents that they can share with their kids. For all these links and resources, comment resources, please. And I'll send you all the stuff.
