New York Man Faces Charges for Cyber Harassment with AI-Generated Nudes

A New York Man Faces Cyberstalking Charges for Harassing a Georgia College Student

Recently, a 21-year-old man named Anthony Belford from New York has been indicted on cyberstalking charges for his alleged involvement in harassing a college student from Georgia. The victim was targeted through the use of fake social media profiles, AI-generated nude images, and fabricated racist messages.

Anthony Belford’s arraignment took place on June 10 after a federal grand jury charged him with cyberstalking. The victim and Belford had previously attended the same college during the academic year of 2023-2024. However, after the victim transferred to a college in Georgia in August 2024, Belford allegedly continued targeting the victim.

Court documents reveal that between January and March 2025, Belford created fake accounts on various platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, X, Strava, and Yahoo to impersonate the victim. He distributed AI-generated nude images and false racist remarks attributed to the victim. These actions caused substantial distress to the victim.

One disturbing incident involved Belford creating a fake LinkedIn profile using an AI-generated nude image of the victim as the profile picture. Additionally, he used a spoofed Yahoo email account to send an AI-generated nude image of the victim to the victim’s mother.

Despite the victim’s transfer to a different college, Belford’s cyberstalking behavior persisted. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg condemned Belford’s actions, highlighting the impact of cyberstalking on victims’ lives and communities.

The Department of Justice emphasized that federal law prohibits the sharing of intimate images without consent, including AI-generated ones. Victims are encouraged to report violations to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission if online platforms fail to remove such content promptly.

Resources like the FTC’s Take It Down platform offer guidance on protecting oneself from cyberstalking and preventing the unauthorized spread of images and videos online. Education and awareness are key in combating online abuse.

Recent Cases Highlighting Cyberstalking and Online Abuse

In March, Jamarcus Mosley from Alabama pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, extortion, and computer fraud charges for hacking into the social media accounts of numerous young women. Similarly, Kyle Svara from Illinois admitted to hacking into nearly 600 women’s Snapchat accounts to steal private photos for illicit purposes.

Security teams detect only 14% of successful cyber attacks, leaving the majority undetected. Discover how breach and attack simulation can strengthen your security defenses.

Download the Picus whitepaper to learn how to test your SIEM and EDR rules effectively and prevent threats from slipping through undetected.

Get the whitepaper now.