A software engineer in the US was arrested on Monday for allegedly creating and distributing thousands of AI-generated images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, Steven Anderegg, 42, allegedly used a text-to-image generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) model called Stable Diffusion to create thousands of realistic images of prepubescent minors,Guardian reported. Many of these images depicted nude or partially clothed minors lasciviously displaying or touching their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with men.
He also communicated with a 15-year-old boy, describing his process for creating the images, and sent him several of AI-generated images of minors through Instagram direct messages.
Anderegg came to the attention of law enforcement through a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after Instagram reported his account for distributing these images.
"Technology may change, but our commitment to protecting children will not. he Justice Department will aggressively pursue those who produce and distribute child sexual abuse material—or CSAM—no matter how that material was created. Put simply, CSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and we will hold accountable those who exploit AI to create obscene, abusive, and increasingly photorealistic images of children, '' Deputy AG Monaco said in a press release.
This marks one of the first known instances where the FBI has charged someone for using AI to create child sexual abuse material.
"Today's announcement sends a clear message: using AI to produce sexually explicit depictions of children is illegal, and the Justice Department will not hesitate to hold accountable those who possess, produce, or distribute AI-generated child sexual abuse material," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri said in a statement.
Anderegg is in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 22.
He faces four counts of creating, distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material and sending explicit material to a child under 16. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of about 70 years in prison.
"The NCMEC is deeply concerned about this quickly growing trend, as bad actors can use artificial intelligence to create deepfaked sexually explicit images or videos based on any photograph of a real child or generate CSAM depicting computer-generated children engaged in graphic sexual acts," the NCMEC's report read.
