This Women Allegedly Created Deepfake Images Of Daughter's Cheerleading Rivals

Deepfake images and the danger they bring: A Pennsylvania mother has been accused of creating deepfake images of her daughter’s cheerleading rivals. The officials stated that the images and a video were doctored in an effort to get them kicked off the cheerleading squad.

The 50-year-old Raffaele Spone was charged with three misdemeanour counts of cyber harassment of a child and related offences. Investigators state that Spone manipulated images obtained through social media of the three girls on the Victory Vipers cheerleading squad. The images were manipulated to make it appear as if the girls were drinking, smoking, and nude. Officials said that Spone also sent messages with the deepfake images to the girls and suggested that they kill themselves.

Spone’s attorney Robert Birch told WPVI-TV that he could not comment as the district attorney had not presented any evidence. “She has absolutely denied what they’re charging her with and because of the fact that this has hit the press, she has received death threats,” Birch said.

Birch added that “She has had to go to the police herself, they have a report. Her life has been turned upside down.”

The Victory Vipers cheerleading squad expressed their sympathy for the families involved. Gym owners Mark McTague and Kelly Cramer stated that “Victory Vipers has always promoted a family environment and we are sorry for all individuals involved.”

Deepfake is defined as the convicting alteration or manipulation of an image or video that misrepresents what a person has done or said.