
Man accused of using AI images of women for sextortion
Benjamin Michael Jomaa is accused of sending sexual material to the women without their consent on Facebook messenger and threatening to distribute AI-manipulated images of them online.
The 31-year-old allegedly demanded to be sent more intimate pictures and encouraged one of the women to participate in a sexual act without her consent.
Sexual extortion or 'sextortion' is a form of blackmail where a person threatens to share a nude or sexual image or video unless their victim gives in to their demands.
Police searched Jomaa's home on May 28 at Ettalong Beach on the NSW Central Coast and seized several electronic devices.
He was arrested and charged with 13 offences.
The three women, all aged in their 20s, were allegedly abused by Jomaa online between October 2024 and April 2025.
Jomaa was granted bail after the arrest.
He appeared briefly in Gosford Local Court for the first time on Wednesday, represented by his lawyer Jessica Tohi.
Supported by two people, Jomaa walked out of the court building hidden underneath a coat.
He has been excused from attending court when the matter returns in two weeks and will remain on bail.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Australia grants asylum to HK pro-democracy activist
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui has been granted asylum in Australia, the former MP says, more than four years after he left Hong Kong where he faces criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui said he received written notice from the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday approving his claim and that his wife, children and parents were also granted visas. "When people around me say 'congratulations' to me, although I politely thank them, I can't help but feel sad in my heart. How to congratulate a political refugee who misses his home town?" he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "If it weren't for political persecution, I would never have thought of living in a foreign land. Immigrants can always return to their home towns to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no home." The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to emailed questions sent after business hours. The Hong Kong government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the decision. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in July as part of his administration's years-long push to improve ties with China. A former Democratic Party MP, Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In 2023 Hong Kong accused him and seven others of national security offences, including incitement to secession, and put $HK1 million ($A196,000) bounties on their heads. Australia said it was disappointed by the decision at the time and concerned about the law. Pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on charges related to a national security law imposed by Beijing and alleged sedition. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui has been granted asylum in Australia, the former MP says, more than four years after he left Hong Kong where he faces criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui said he received written notice from the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday approving his claim and that his wife, children and parents were also granted visas. "When people around me say 'congratulations' to me, although I politely thank them, I can't help but feel sad in my heart. How to congratulate a political refugee who misses his home town?" he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "If it weren't for political persecution, I would never have thought of living in a foreign land. Immigrants can always return to their home towns to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no home." The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to emailed questions sent after business hours. The Hong Kong government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the decision. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in July as part of his administration's years-long push to improve ties with China. A former Democratic Party MP, Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In 2023 Hong Kong accused him and seven others of national security offences, including incitement to secession, and put $HK1 million ($A196,000) bounties on their heads. Australia said it was disappointed by the decision at the time and concerned about the law. Pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on charges related to a national security law imposed by Beijing and alleged sedition. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui has been granted asylum in Australia, the former MP says, more than four years after he left Hong Kong where he faces criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui said he received written notice from the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday approving his claim and that his wife, children and parents were also granted visas. "When people around me say 'congratulations' to me, although I politely thank them, I can't help but feel sad in my heart. How to congratulate a political refugee who misses his home town?" he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "If it weren't for political persecution, I would never have thought of living in a foreign land. Immigrants can always return to their home towns to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no home." The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to emailed questions sent after business hours. The Hong Kong government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the decision. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in July as part of his administration's years-long push to improve ties with China. A former Democratic Party MP, Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In 2023 Hong Kong accused him and seven others of national security offences, including incitement to secession, and put $HK1 million ($A196,000) bounties on their heads. Australia said it was disappointed by the decision at the time and concerned about the law. Pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on charges related to a national security law imposed by Beijing and alleged sedition. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui has been granted asylum in Australia, the former MP says, more than four years after he left Hong Kong where he faces criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui said he received written notice from the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday approving his claim and that his wife, children and parents were also granted visas. "When people around me say 'congratulations' to me, although I politely thank them, I can't help but feel sad in my heart. How to congratulate a political refugee who misses his home town?" he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "If it weren't for political persecution, I would never have thought of living in a foreign land. Immigrants can always return to their home towns to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no home." The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to emailed questions sent after business hours. The Hong Kong government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the decision. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in July as part of his administration's years-long push to improve ties with China. A former Democratic Party MP, Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In 2023 Hong Kong accused him and seven others of national security offences, including incitement to secession, and put $HK1 million ($A196,000) bounties on their heads. Australia said it was disappointed by the decision at the time and concerned about the law. Pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on charges related to a national security law imposed by Beijing and alleged sedition.


Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
Australia grants asylum to HK pro-democracy activist
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui has been granted asylum in Australia, the former MP says, more than four years after he left Hong Kong where he faces criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui said he received written notice from the Australian Department of Home Affairs on Friday approving his claim and that his wife, children and parents were also granted visas. "When people around me say 'congratulations' to me, although I politely thank them, I can't help but feel sad in my heart. How to congratulate a political refugee who misses his home town?" he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "If it weren't for political persecution, I would never have thought of living in a foreign land. Immigrants can always return to their home towns to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no home." The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to emailed questions sent after business hours. The Hong Kong government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the decision. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in July as part of his administration's years-long push to improve ties with China. A former Democratic Party MP, Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges over the 2019 pro-democracy protests. In 2023 Hong Kong accused him and seven others of national security offences, including incitement to secession, and put $HK1 million ($A196,000) bounties on their heads. Australia said it was disappointed by the decision at the time and concerned about the law. Pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on charges related to a national security law imposed by Beijing and alleged sedition.

News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Deep analysis reveals AI's impact on Australian tech jobs
Detailed analysis of critical Australian IT jobs shows artificial intelligence will not make these roles obsolete but rather allow workers to do more of their existing complex tasks. Education behemoth Pearson has analysed the work of Australian software developers, computer systems analysts and network architects, finding these workers will save between 4.5 to seven hours a week in five years' time with effective use of technology. Pearson Asia Pacific executive Craig McFarlane told NewsWire that jobs needed to be 'redesigned'. 'We can't afford to keep chasing talent externally. The real opportunity lies in rethinking the structure of roles so we can unlock the capacity we already have,' he said. 'AI is creating space – time that we can reinvest in upskilling, creativity and innovation.' The research modelled the future impact of 34 emerging technology types on 76,600 granular tasks. The five-year impact is based on the projected adoption rates in Australia's IT industry that are already under way. Workers in five high-value tech roles saved between 4.5 and 7 hours a week, based on the analysis. 'That's nearly a day each week that can be reinvested into strategic, creative, or growth-focused work,' Mr McFarlane said. 'By starting the process of role redesign now, businesses can close skills gaps faster, improve retention and strengthen their competitiveness, all while preparing their workforce for the future.' The researchers are confident the use of AI will not make these workers obsolete, instead just automate repetitive and routine tasks. 'The roles themselves remain intact; it's the nature of the work within them that evolves,' Mr McFarlane said. 'Businesses can free their people to focus on higher-value activities like strategic planning, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration. 'This is about redeploying talent, not replacing it, and the gains are significant. In some cases, we modelled that teams could double their output without adding headcount.' While this study looked at tech roles, the researchers highlighted other industries making significant use of artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA). Finance and banking are 'leading adopters' of AI and RPA, Mr McFarlane said. Healthcare companies are investing heavily in AI for diagnostics, patient systems, and data analytics. Mining firms have long used automation for safety and efficiency and are now using AI for routine maintenance and further efficiencies. Retail and logistics companies are using AI to forecast demand and manage warehouses and supply chains. 'In each of these sectors, the adoption of AI tools is creating opportunities to redesign roles and unlock hidden capacity within existing teams,' Mr McFarlane said. Schools are another sector figuring out how to use generative AI. St Mary MacKillop College in Melbourne's southwest has taken on the challenge of leading the wave for multiple reasons; AI has the potential to better teach kids, the tech can help teachers plan and assess, the software is getting better, and AI simply needs to be taught in safe, ethical and effective ways. St Mary MacKillop digital learning co-ordinator Trent Wilson told NewsWire the school was using a small number of 'carefully selected' generative AI tools. Students in years 7 to 10 are using an AI feedback tool for responses about what they have done well and how to improve. The tool is called Education Perfect; some tasks that the students do and get feedback from are created by Education Perfect, some are created by the school. Students in years 10 to 12 are using a research chatbot called Perplexity. The school is teaching the students how to speak to the bot, what constitutes safe and ethical use, and how to critically evaluate the bot's responses. 'Using an external tool with older students acknowledges their need for greater agency and prepares them for a future in which AI literacy is essential,' Mr Wilson said. 'This tool is not writing student work, rather guiding students on refining and editing their own ideas and writing.' Throughout 2024, college staff did professional learning, academic reading and research and ran trials with select classes. In 2025, the school had its rules and principles ready to go. MacKillop's AI use was grounded in critical thinking, ethical use and academic integrity, Mr Wilson said. The college is not using AI for any counselling services. 'AI is an incredibly fast-moving technological phenomenon that has tremendous potential,' Mr Wilson said. 'Nowhere is the obligation to manage its risks, and unlock its potential, more vital than in education, where we help to shape the next generations.' Shane Smith co-founded the Education Perfect tool being used at MacKillop. He said the program gave teachers more time to focus on one-on-one support. 'In schools that have had time to trial AI, teachers report that it can also help identify learning gaps more quickly and make it easier to plan lessons that meet the needs of different learners,' Mr Smith said. 'These efficiencies are particularly valuable in high-demand classrooms. Any time saved, even if just minutes, can be reinvested directly into students.' The tech developer is also confident advancements will not lead to job losses. 'No, we absolutely don't believe that AI will lead to job losses for teachers in Australia,' he told NewsWire. 'In fact, it will be key to help address teacher shortages by reducing workload and improving efficiency. 'AI is best seen as a tool to augment teacher effort and expertise. The human element of teaching – grounded in trust and mentorship – cannot be replicated by AI.'