Three teens arrested over AI-generated 'Cat in the Hat' school threats in Ventura
Three Buena High School students were arrested in Ventura, California after creating threatening AI-generated videos featuring a sinister Cat in the Hat character.
AI-generated 'Cat in the Hat' videos prompt arrests of three Buena High School students
Three teenagers from Ventura, California have been arrested after allegedly producing and sharing AI-generated videos featuring a menacing "Cat in the Hat" character making threats against students and schools, aol.com reports.
The Ventura Police Department launched its investigation on 14 September after receiving reports about the videos. According to a police news release, patrol officers quickly traced a link to Buena High School, after which School Resource Officers identified three students as suspects in the creation and distribution of the material.
The three suspects — two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old, all residents of Ventura — were arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and conspiracy to commit a crime. Two of the three also face suspicion of destroying evidence.
The videos, according to police, are part of a nationwide trend involving similar threatening content. Multiple media outlets describe the clips as depicting a sinister rendering of the Cat in the Hat character, at times resembling the version portrayed by actor Mike Myers in the 2003 film of the same name. The posts frequently show the character lurking outside homes, schools or along darkened streets, and some have been tailored to reference specific communities, campuses or individual students, according to a report from The Guardian.
The trend is reported to have originated overseas before spreading across the United States.
Ventura officials stated that investigators do not currently believe there is an active threat to Buena High School or the surrounding community. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Ventura Police Detective Sgt. Fabian Gutierrez at 805-339-4428.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)