Police have arrested a 43-year-old man from Overbetuwe in Gelderland for putting sexually explicit deepfakes online using the images of at least 130 women.

He shared the deepfakes with several WhatsApp groups and also sent unsollicited photographs of his penis and sexually explicit messages and deepfakes to the women.

Reports of harassment by the man from women from across the country have been stacking up in the last few years and the investigation has been “ongoing”, police said.

Based on the reports, the man may have been active since 2021 or 2022. The police have confiscated his computer and other electronic devices.

Creating and disseminating deepfakes is punishable by law in the Netherlands if they are libellous or pornographic, and social media platforms can now be held liable for allowing deepfakes of this kind.

In July, a majority of MPs backed a proposal to to give citizens the copyright to their body, facial features, and voice to prevent people from creating AI-generated deepfakes and putting them online.