Multiple deepfake porn sites targeting celebrities shut down by Manhattan prosecutors

Leonard Greene, New York Daily News on Sep 14, 2026

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NEW YORK — A dozen website domains that unlawfully shared and sold sexually explicit “deepfake videos” of celebrities, athletes and politicians have been shut down and seized, Manhattan prosecutors said Monday.

In what was described as the largest seizure of websites focused on AI-generated illegal pornography, law enforcement agents targeted sites that depicted and victimized nearly 1,200 people — overwhelmingly women — by using their likenesses in nonconsensual images and videos.

”These horrific violations of privacy follow victims into their careers and personal lives and take an immense toll on emotional and mental wellbeing,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a news conference.

”I want to be clear: We do not tolerate sexual exploitation in any form, including sharing or selling deepfake pornography.”

The shutdowns did not include any arrests, although Bragg described the crimes behind the illegal websites as Class A misdemeanors.

Bragg said the victims included social media influencers, actors, activists, athletes, musicians and politicians, one of whom came forward and helped law enforcement officials track down the sites.

Bragg said there are many more deepfake victims who are not celebrities who are often subjected to domestic violence and threats of exploitation.

“Our message to people creating and publishing this content is this: What you are doing is a crime,” Bragg said.

“In New York State it is illegal to share real photos of people engaging in sex without their permission. Likewise it is illegal to share that content if it is created or altered by artificial intelligence tools.”

Bragg said the investigation into these and other websites remains ongoing.

Visitors to the seized sites were hit with a stern message.

“This domain has been seized,” the sites now say in red capital letters, adding that the sites were taken over following a seizure warrant issued by New York State Supreme Court.

Bragg urged potential victims to come forward and contact his office’s cybercrime bureau.

“I think there are a lot of people out there suffering in silence,” Bragg said. “There are a lot of sites. There’s a lot of work to be done, and we’re prepared to do it.”

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