Homeland Security Investigations is urging New Orleans parents to lock down kids’ online privacy after an investigation found a former Isidore Newman School teacher allegedly used students’ photos to create explicit AI-generated images. The case has triggered fresh warnings and new resources as local authorities pursue more than 100 felony counts.
According to FOX 8, an Orleans Parish special grand jury returned an indictment charging 49-year-old Benoit Cransac with 102 felony counts. The filing lists 60 counts of unlawful deepfakes along with multiple counts alleging child sexual-abuse material and video voyeurism.
Investigators have arrested Cransac several times this year as the probe expanded, and authorities say they seized computers, a work-issued laptop, a cellphone and other storage devices while reviewing digital evidence, WBRZ reports. The former teacher worked at Newman for years as a French teacher and middle-school tennis coach before being fired.
What investigators say they found
Court records reviewed by FOX 8 state that agents located 17 photographs taken inside classrooms that focused on students’ lower bodies, and that some victims’ faces were later used to generate AI-altered nude images. Prosecutors say collages and other altered files appeared alongside original photos on seized devices, giving investigators leads they traced through online accounts and metadata.
HSI's warning to parents
In a statement to WDSU, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Jessica Zuppardo said, “he was friending his students on social media and using their innocent photos to turn them into something so egregious.” HSI told the station its forensics lab is examining the seized electronics and that parents should consider setting social and gaming profiles to private while reviewing children’s follower and friend lists.
Where to get help and resources
HSI’s Know2Protect campaign offers free safety guides, age-appropriate lessons and Project iGuardian presentations for schools and community groups; materials are available at Know2Protect and summarized in the Department of Homeland Security’s program review. Those resources include family online-safety agreements, reporting guidance and contact information for law enforcement and victim services.
Legal fallout and policy context
Cransac has pleaded not guilty, court records show, and the case remains pending in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court as prosecutors prepare for additional court proceedings, according to WDSU. Lawmakers have also moved to tighten rules on AI and deepfakes in schools, for example, the Louisiana Legislature’s enrolled measure banning deepfake material used against K-12 students is posted online in the official bill text. Senate Bill 346 (enrolled) defines prohibited deepfake conduct and directs state education officials to adopt implementing rules.
For parents who believe their child’s image may have been used, investigators recommend preserving original posts and screenshots and reporting tips to local law enforcement or to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. HSI and local investigators say timely reports and saved digital evidence help build forensic leads and protect other potential victims.
