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Peru Police Dismantle Puente Piedra Ring That Used AI Deepfakes to Extort Minors

Prosecutors are preparing trafficking, extortion, computer‑crime charges as investigators examine seized devices for more victims.

Overview

  • An anonymous tip about a 16-year-old triggered a joint operation by the anti-trafficking unit and the Ventanilla organized-crime prosecutor that led to five detentions on Nov. 16–17.
  • Authorities say the group used accessible AI tools to turn real photos of adolescents into fake intimate videos and coerced them via apps such as Telegram using false profiles.
  • Police seized laptops, phones, USB drives, chats and audios, plus condoms and other items located with a trained dog during raids on properties in Puente Piedra.
  • Investigators report no genuine explicit material was found, only digitally manipulated content used for psychological coercion and extortion.
  • Named suspects include Juan Villacorta Cáceres, Lourdes Carbajal, Sandra Gastelu and Juan Dávila, and officials are probing possible links to other networks in Lima Norte.