Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Using Deepfake Technology to Harass Cheerleaders

In an arrest affidavit, the Hilltown Township Police Department in Bucks County accused Raffaela Marie Spone, 50, of cyberbullying three teenagers she knew at the Victory Vipers cheerleading gym in Doylestown, Pa., about 35 miles north of Philadelphia. Police officials said that over the summer, Ms. Spone had sent anonymous text messages from several fake phone numbers to the cheerleaders, their parents and the gym owners. The police suspect that the altered media was created through deepfake technology, which is becoming both more sophisticated and accessible, playing into experts' concerns that it can be used to harass or commit crimes. With deepfake technology, people can take a still image and map it onto an existing video to disparagingly alter the appearance of someone. "This technology is not only very prevalent, but easy to use," said Matt Weintraub, the Bucks County district attorney, whose office has been overseeing the case.