A U.S. Army soldier stationed in Alaska, Seth Herrera, has been arrested for using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material. He allegedly used AI chatbots to generate pornography of minors, viewed tens of thousands of images of violent child sexual abuse, and was involved in online messaging groups trafficking in abusive content. Federal officials warn of a rise in child sexual abuse material created through AI, presenting a challenge for law enforcement but also a tool for identifying offenders and victims.
Herrera saved recordings of minors undressing in his home and used social media images and videos to create sexually abusive material. Agents found tens of thousands of images and videos depicting rape and sexual abuse of children as young as infants on his phones. He also admitted to viewing child sexual abuse content online for the past year and a half. Herrera faces charges including transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
This arrest is part of federal efforts to combat sexual predators using new technology. The FBI emphasizes that all child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated content, is illegal. Homeland Security Investigations have used machine learning models to identify cases of online sexual exploitation, leading to the rescue of victims and arrests of offenders. Suspected production of child sexual abuse content can be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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