A Lee College employee is facing a misdemeanor charge after allegations arose that he created an artificial intelligence-generated video featuring a woman without her consent, as detailed in recently filed court documents.
Rigoberto Silva Ruiz, 30, is accused of producing “deep fake” media that purportedly shows a woman revealing intimate parts of her body, according to the charging affidavit. This incident reportedly took place around April 1 in Baytown.
Details surrounding the discovery of the video have emerged from court documents, which indicate that a former romantic partner of Ruiz found the material while examining his phone early on March 30. The witness accessed Ruiz’s iPhone and stumbled upon several screenshots of social media images, including one of the complainant, whom she recognized from school.
While reviewing files that had been recently deleted, the witness discovered what she believed to be an AI-generated video created from those images. The video allegedly depicted the complainant alongside an unidentified juvenile female in a sexualized context. Investigators noted that the witness recorded this content on her phone before presenting it to the police.
When confronted by authorities, Ruiz reportedly admitted to creating the AI-generated video “for personal use.” Officials noted that the video was designed to look realistic and portray events that never took place.
The complainant later confirmed to investigators that the original photo used in the video was legitimate and taken from her social media but stressed that the explicit content was fabricated. She also indicated that she did not know the juvenile depicted in the video and had not consented to its creation.
Ruiz has been charged with the unlawful production or distribution of specific sexually explicit material, a misdemeanor offense.
According to Lee College officials, Ruiz serves as the Manager of Grant Performance and Compliance and is the Head Debate Coach. Following the allegations, he has been placed on administrative leave.
In a statement, the college expressed its commitment to cooperating with the Baytown Police Department’s investigation. They confirmed that Ruiz has been placed on administrative leave and that an internal review is underway in line with college policies and applicable laws, including Title IX. The college has stated they will provide no further information as the situation develops.
The investigation into the case is ongoing, and it remains unclear if additional charges will be filed.
