Ottawa Police Charge Two Men in AI-Generated Deepfake Case Involving Canadian Women
Ottawa police have charged two men with multiple counts of harassment, threats and distribution of non-consensual intimate images created using artificial intelligence. Court documents list up to 25 alleged victims whose social-media photos were allegedly altered into violent and sexual content.
rte.ieOttawa Police Service announced charges against two men after a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the alleged creation and distribution of AI-generated intimate images without consent. Stephen Lowe, 60, of Maitland, Nova Scotia, faces 79 charges including 25 counts each of harassment, uttering threats and publishing obscene material, plus four counts related to child sexual abuse material.
The charges cover the period from August 2020 to December 2025. Gregry Van Beek, 38, of West Nipissing, Ontario, faces seven charges including two counts of harassment, two counts of uttering threats and two counts of publishing intimate images without consent.
Both men remain in custody.
The investigation began after Ottawa police received a report of one woman depicted in harmful online content. Investigators later identified additional possible victims across Ontario, Nova Scotia and Nunavut. Documents before the court identify up to 25 alleged victims.
Police said the images were created by taking photos from social-media accounts and using artificial intelligence to generate realistic depictions of the women in violent and sexual scenes. Ten women interviewed by CBC News, aged 24 to 64, described anxiety in public, panic attacks and ongoing concern about additional images.
Some images included captions with what police told the women were area codes.
Canada currently has no specific law addressing deepfake imagery.
A bill that would criminalize such images is under consideration in Parliament. Emails from the RCMP indicate that known distribution profiles have been removed and one hosting website was taken offline, though CBC News confirmed the site later returned with updated moderation messaging.
Lowe’s wife of 20 years, Gwen Frankton, stated she was unaware of the allegations until police arrived at their home. She said she is filing for divorce.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
5 events- 2020-08-01 to 2025-12-30
Alleged creation and distribution of images by Lowe occurred during this period.
1 sourceCbc - 2016
Van Beek’s earliest charges date to this year.
1 sourceCbc - 2026-02-12
Lowe was arrested by RCMP in Nova Scotia.
1 sourceCbc - 2026-02-17
Lowe was transferred to Ottawa Police custody.
1 sourceCbc - 2026-05
Van Beek was arrested approximately two and a half months after Lowe.
1 sourceCbc
Potential Impact
- 01
Women report increased anxiety and concern about further distribution of images.
- 02
Parliament continues review of legislation targeting non-consensual deepfake imagery.
- 03
Hosting website implemented new moderation systems after content removal.
Transparency Panel
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