Royal School Armagh educates close to 800 pupils up to the age of 18. At a different level, Virginia’s school has taken on an even more shocking problem—the widespread distribution of AI-generated pornographic imagery. The school, which is situated in County Armagh, only learned of the situation on the morning of Thursday January 8th. Principal Graham Montgomery has personally and visibly taken the lead in resolving the issue. He immediately referred it to the proper authorities and sent a letter to parents on Monday.
In his communication, Montgomery expressed that Royal School Armagh believes it has identified “all those of whom images had been manipulated and those allegedly responsible.” To calm the parents’ fears, he added, only a small number of teenagers were impacted. This directly contradicts several reports stating that dozens of girls had been targeted. Montgomery emphasized the sensitive nature of the situation, stating, “mindful that we are dealing with teenagers,” and highlighted the difficulties faced by those students whose images were manipulated.
The school has teamed up with Jim Gamble, chief executive of the INEQE Safeguarding Group. We thank him for asking for calm during such troubling times. Gamble called on artists who produced those images or were otherwise victimized to come forward. He highlighted how crucial it was to report, both to their school and the police. He noted that the accessibility of AI applications, many of which lack age restrictions, leads some individuals to mistakenly believe they can create and share explicit content without facing consequences.
“Because they were able to go online and search for a nudification app and find one, then it may not possibly be unlawful.” – Jim Gamble
Montgomery’s letter to parents contained a plea to “refrain from comment and speculation where possible, including on social media.” Beyond the operational details, though, he had one overarching concern—protection of the students so deeply impacted. He described this time as exceptionally traumatic for them.
“Everybody needs to pause and reflect that we are dealing with children and do the right thing so everybody walks away from this with lessons learned and lives intact.” – Anonymous source
Here’s what Montgomery did to control the blowback. Beyond that, he wanted to maintain the morale of the broader school community and avoid creating any panic. He wore a grey blazer, a pale shirt, and a red tie with white and navy stripes during his public addresses, embodying the professionalism expected from school leadership.
The Royal School Armagh’s role in this controversy is a current day legacy. At the same time, the administration is firmly committed to protecting its students and fostering an atmosphere of safety and respect for everyone.
