Lee College employee accused of creating 'deep fake' media, court records say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A Lee College employee is facing a misdemeanor charge after investigators say he created an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting a woman without her consent, according to a newly filed court document.

Lee College employee arrested on misdemeanor charge

What we know:

Rigoberto Silva Ruiz, 30, is accused of producing "deep fake" media that appeared to show a woman exposing intimate body parts, the charging affidavit stated. The alleged incident occurred on or about April 1 in Baytown.

Rigoberto Ruiz

Discovery of the video

According to court documents, a key witness, identified as a former romantic partner of Ruiz, told police she discovered the material while looking through his phone in the early morning hours of March 30.

The witness said she accessed Ruiz’s iPhone and found multiple screenshots of social media images, including photos of mutual acquaintances. Among them was an image of the complainant, whom the witness said she recognized from school, court documents stated. 

While reviewing recently deleted files, the witness reported finding what appeared to be an AI-generated video derived from those images, court documents stated. The video allegedly depicted the complainant and an unidentified juvenile female in a sexualized scenario. 

Investigators say the witness recorded the content on her own phone and later showed it to police.

Alleged admission

When confronted, officials said Ruiz allegedly admitted to creating the AI-generated video "for personal use," according to the affidavit. Authorities say the video was designed to appear realistic and to depict acts that never happened.

Court documents stated the complainant later confirmed to investigators that the original photo used in the video was authentic and taken from her social media, but said the explicit content was fabricated. She told police she did not know the juvenile depicted and did not consent to the creation of the video.

Charges and broader context

Ruiz is charged with unlawful production or distribution of certain sexually explicit material, which is a misdemeanor. 

Lee College statement

Ruiz is Manager, Grant Performance and Compliance, Head Debate Coach at Lee College, according to officials at Lee College. Ruiz has been placed on administrative leave. 

"The college is cooperating with the Baytown Police Department investigation of an employee who has been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. The employee has been placed on administrative leave, and the college is conducting an internal review in accordance with college policies and applicable laws, including Title IX. As this situation is continuing to unfold, we have no further information to share at this time."

What's next:

The case remains under investigation. It is unclear whether additional charges could be filed.