Foxes in the Henhouse > NJ Deputy AG facing AI-gen CSAM charges in PA; Aussie Teacher charged with CSA on student; KY school wrestlying coach facing CSA charges; Gay Scots teacher jailed for years of CSA

 

Ex-state deputy attorney general accused of making AI-generated child porn

By Victor Li

October 19, 2026, 11:58 am CDT

Prosecutors in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, have alleged that a since-fired New Jersey deputy attorney general used artificial intelligence software to produce sexually explicit images of children and circulated them through the communication platform Discord. (Image from Shutterstock)

Prosecutors in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, have alleged that a since-fired New Jersey deputy attorney general used artificial intelligence software to produce sexually explicit images of children and circulated them through the communication platform Discord.

Law360 reported Friday that Brian Richard Fitzgerald, 51, of the Lower Makefield Township in Pennsylvania, is accused of and faces charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, disseminating depictions of sex acts involving children, and misusing a communication facility.

According to Law360, the case began in August, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children passed along a tip about a Discord account that had shared an image of a nude prepubescent girl. Records from Discord led investigators to an IP address and email accounts they say they connected to Fitzgerald through a backup email address and payment details tied to it.

In Discord chats, the account holder said he only had AI-generated images, and he had made nearly all of them, according to the affidavit. When officers searched Fitzgerald’s home Thursday, he told them that he used an online generator to create the images, shared them on Discord, and gathered pictures of real children from the internet, according to the affidavit. He said he erased his material after Discord shut down his account, but investigators say they found his text prompts saved in a notes app on his phone.

Fitzgerald joined the New Jersey attorney general’s office in May 2016 and mostly handled insurance fraud matters, according to his LinkedIn page. A spokesperson told Law360 that the office fired him effective Oct. 15 and is assisting in the investigation.

Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said in a statement his office will vigorously pursue these cases regardless of the defendant’s profession or position.

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 27. No defense attorney is listed, according to Law360.

Lower Makefield Township

Teacher charged with alleged sexual offences

Media release

Teacher charged with alleged sexual offences

First published: 19 October 2026

Detectives from the Child Abuse Squad have charged a 30-year-old man following an investigation into allegations of his inappropriate behaviour towards a teenage female student.

It will be alleged that, between May and August 2025, the man sexually assaulted the student.  

During the time of the alleged offences, the man was employed at a northern suburbs secondary school.

The 30-year-old man has been charged with:

• 12 counts of Sexually Penetrated a Child over 16 under their Authority

He is due to appear before Joondalup Magistrates Court on 21 October 2026.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation, or similar incidents, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000.

Detectives urge anyone affected, or anyone with information relevant to this investigation, to come forward. Reports can be made via the Safe2Say online reporting platform at wa-police-force-sex-crime.safe2say.com.au/report.

Former Bourbon County MS wrestling coach now facing federal charges in child sex abuse case

August 10, 2026 Kisha Jones State News

 (LEX NEWS) — A former Bourbon County Middle School wrestling coach who was already facing state charges is now the subject of a federal criminal complaint alleging she sexually abused a 14-year-old boy and transported him across state lines to engage in sexual activity.

According to a federal affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 36-year-old Megan Foley is accused of violating federal laws related to the online enticement of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines for illegal sexual activity.

The federal filing stems from an investigation that began after Kentucky State Police received a report on July 3 that a 14-year-old boy had allegedly been abused by Megan Foley, who served as an assistant wrestling coach. Investigators say the teen and another juvenile were frequently taken on trips by Foley and her family.

Former middle school coach admits to having sexual relations with minor

Federal investigators allege Foley engaged in sexual activity with the boy during trips to Ohio, at her home in Carlisle and in a camper at the Central Kentucky Gun Club in Berea, the affidavit states.

The complaint also references witness statements and alleges Foley transported the minor to Ohio in May 2026, where sexual activity allegedly occurred.

Foley was arrested by Kentucky State Police on July 22 and charged in state court with multiple offenses, including third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and promoting a sexual performance by a minor in Madison County.

During an interview after her arrest, investigators say Foley admitted to having a relationship with the teen and confessed to multiple sexual encounters.

Charges against former KY middle school wrestling coach headed to a grand jury

The federal affidavit concludes there is probable cause to charge Foley with online enticement of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity. A criminal complaint was filed Aug. 7 in federal court in Lexington.

Bourbon Co., KY

Scots teacher who sexually abused 12 pupils jailed for four years

Mon, October 19, 2026 at 5:03 AM PDT

A teacher who sexually abused 12 pupils at a school in Paisley has been jailed for four years.

Martin Gallacher, 46, groomed and abused vulnerable boys over an 11-year period.

He targeted them in his classes and at lunch, as well as badminton and football clubs he ran within the school.

Gallacher claimed he had touched boys innocently through his roles as a teacher, club organiser or sports coach, but was found guilty after a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court last month.

When he returned to the court to be sentenced, Sheriff Eoin McGinty said he had committed "a profound breach of that trust".

The sheriff added: "This was serious sexual offending committed on your pupils. As with any teacher, you were occupying a heightened position of trust and responsibility."

"Pupils are entitled to have trust in their teachers as people who will safeguard their welfare. Parents entrust teachers with the care and responsibility of their children."

School investigation dropped

Gallacher's trial had heard he targeted victims in lessons or when they were alone.

He also contacted some on messaging and gaming platforms, and handed out gifts and money.

The court heard he rubbed children on the body and touched them inappropriately.

One of his victims told the school what had happened to him in 2024 but an internal investigation was dropped due to "insufficient evidence".

It later emerged Renfrewshire Council did not inform authorities about the original complaint and Gallacher was allowed to remain teaching.

Following his arrest and conviction, the council said it was now commissioning an independent learning review into the case.

• Council dropped initial investigation into sex abuse teacher

Report on Historical Institutional CSA in Australia

 

The Damages of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse in Australia

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Commonwealth and States investigated a growing number of concerns about the welfare of children who had been, or were still, in institutions and other care arrangements. These investigations included the Commonwealth’s Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare 1985 report on children in institutional and other forms of care and states’ reports on aspects of children in care between 1981 and 1999.

These reports paved the way for national inquiries between 1997 and 2005 which culminated in the 2017 final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. This report and reports of the preceding inquiries inform our understanding of the trauma that shapes the lives of survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in Australia.

1997 Bringing Them Home: National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families

 The Attorney-General of Australia commissioned the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to conduct this inquiry. Stories of sexual exploitation and abuse were common in evidence to the inquiry. Nationally, at least one in every six (17.5%) witnesses to the inquiry reported such victimisation. A similar proportion (13.3%) reported sexual abuse to the WA Aboriginal Legal Service: 14.5% of those fostered and 10.9% of those placed on missions. These vulnerable children had no one to turn to for protection or comfort. They were rarely believed if they disclosed the abuse.

There are many well-recognised psychological impacts of childhood sexual abuse. They include confusion about sexual identity and sexual norms, confusion of sex with love and aversion to sex or intimacy. When the child is blamed or is not believed, other impacts can be added including guilt, shame, lowered self-esteem and a sense of being different from others.

These impacts amount to a variant of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The reported effects include sleep disturbance, irritability and concentration difficulties (associated with hyper arousal), fears, anxiety, depression and guilt. Repeat victimisation compounds these effects. The common psychological impacts have often manifested in isolation, drug or alcohol abuse, criminal involvement, self-mutilation and/or suicide.

2001 Lost Innocents: Righting the Record – Report on Child Migration

 This inquiry by the Commonwealth Parliament’s Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs was concerned with the impact of migration schemes on child migrants in institutions in Australia. The Committee received evidence of shocking physical and sexual abuse and assault perpetrated by those charged with their day-to-day care. Sexual assault was perpetrated by a range of persons including priests at the institution, members of families to whom children were sent on holidays or to work, workers at the institution, regular visitors to the institution, and also in some institutions by other older children.

Children who were sexually abused and assaulted referred to their shame, about carrying this guilt around for a lifetime and never being able to confide in a family member, any detail of their childhood or adolescent experiences. Sexual assault as a child has the most damaging impact throughout life. Abused children often develop personal problems of lack of trust and confidence, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies, and an inability to establish and maintain personal relationships.

2004 Forgotten Australians: A Report on Australians who Experienced Institutional or Out-of-Home Care as Children

 This inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs was concerned with mainly non-indigenous Australian-born children who suffered under institutional care. It focused on children who were in institutional and out-of-home care, mainly from the 1920s until the 1970s when deinstitutionalisation began to see large institutions replaced by smaller residential homes, foster care or other options such as placements with families for accommodating children in need of out-of-home care.

The Committee received hundreds of graphic and disturbing accounts about the treatment and care experienced by children in out-of-home care. Their stories outlined a litany of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, criminal physical and sexual assault. Their stories also told of neglect, humiliation and deprivation of food, education and healthcare. The overwhelming response as to treatment in care was the lack of love, affection and nurturing that was never provided to young children at critical times during their emotional development.

The long-term impact of a childhood spent in institutional care is complex and varied. However, a fundamental, ongoing issue is the lack of trust and security and lack of interpersonal and life skills that are acquired through a normal family upbringing, especially social and parenting skills. A lifelong inability to initiate and maintain stable, loving relationships was described by many care leavers who have undergone multiple relationships and failed marriages. Many cannot form trust in relationships and remain loners, never marrying or living an isolated existence.

The legacy of their childhood experiences for many has been low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression, fear and distrust, anger, shame, guilt, obsessiveness, social anxieties, phobias, and recurring nightmares. Many have tried to block the pain of their past by resorting to substance abuse through lifelong alcohol and drug addictions. Many turned to illegal practices such as prostitution, or more serious law-breaking offences which have resulted in a large percentage of the prison population being care leavers. Care leavers harbour powerful feelings of anger, guilt and shame, have a range of ongoing physical and mental health problems, and struggle with employment and housing issues.

The Committee considered that there has been wide scale unsafe, improper and unlawful care of children, a failure of duty of care, and serious and repeated breaches of statutory obligations. The Committee further considered that many comments in recent years by governments, churches and care providers reveal a complete lack of understanding of or acceptance of responsibility for the level of neglect, abuse and assault that occurred in their institutions.

2005 Protecting Vulnerable Children: A National Challenge

 This inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs was also into children in institutional or out-of-home care. Unlike its 2004 inquiry, it focused on contemporary foster care issues, contemporary government and legal framework in which child welfare and protection issues operate, children and young people with disabilities in care, and children and young people in juvenile justice and detention centres.

The Committee concluded that a spate of more recent reports for a number of States and Territories reveal crisis-ridden child protection systems that are under-resourced, under-funded, under-staffed resulting in a high turnover of over-worked (burnt-out) and often inexperienced workers. They have also found that the crisis-ridden systems have resulted in children at risk not being adequately protected.

The Committee also concluded that the evidence indicates very disturbing trends in out-of-home care: that the number of children entering the system is increasing and children have increasingly complex problems as a result of extremely damaging family situations. Indigenous children are over-represented in the out-of-home care system, with indigenous children being six times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-indigenous children. Often, the out-of-home system is unable to provide adequate care for these high-care children. This is exacerbated by multiple placements, multiple changes to caseworkers, lack of adequate after-care services, and children returning to abusive situations.

In The State of Western Australia v Barber [2026] WASCA 130, the full bench of the Western Australian Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the District Court of Western Australia’s award of almost $2.85 million in damages to a person who was a child that had been returned to an abusive situation.

2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

 On 12 November 2012, the Prime Minister announced she would recommend to the Governor-General that a royal commission be appointed to inquire into institutional responses to child abuse. On 11 January 2013, the Governor-General issued Letters Patent appointing six Commissioners. They presented their final report on 15 December 2017.

The final report consists of 17 volumes and an executive summary distilled over five years from 1,344 written and accounts by 7,981 survivors of child sexual abuse in 8,013 private sessions. In private sessions up to 31 May 2017, the Royal Commission heard from 6,875 survivors of child sexual abuse in institutional contexts, as well as their family members, carers and supporters and other children in institutions where the abuse took place. By the end of the Royal Commission, the Commissioners had heard about 3,489 institutions where they were told child sexual abuse had occurred.

One of the Royal Commission’s findings in relation to disclosure was cited in the decision of DB (a pseudonym) v The State of Western Australia [2025] WADC 60, the subject case of the above unsuccessful appeal by the State of Western Australia. In our next article, we describe the Royal Commission’s findings about survivors’ experiences of disclosing child sexual abuse and the factors that affect a victim’s decision whether to disclose, when to disclose and who to tell.

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Can psychology explain the madness of child sexual abuse?

 

What Drives Child Sexual Predators to Risk Everything? Inside the Psychology of Sexual Exploitation

Tom Lemons, October 19, 2026 | Last updated Oct 20, 2026 2:26pm

FLORIDA - They could be neighbors, coworkers, professionals, parents, or seemingly ordinary members of the community. Yet behind closed doors, some engage in crimes that can destroy their careers, families, reputations, and freedom.

Across Florida and throughout the United States, law enforcement agencies routinely announce arrests involving adults accused of soliciting minors for sexual activity, possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or distributing sexually explicit images and videos depicting children.

Many of these defendants face lengthy prison sentences, mandatory sex offender registration, and consequences that can follow them for the rest of their lives.

It raises a disturbing question: What drives someone to risk everything for sexual gratification involving a child, particularly when they know law enforcement is actively searching for offenders?

Psychologists and researchers who study sexual offending suggest the answer is more complicated than simply an inability to distinguish right from wrong.

One explanation involves persistent sexual attraction to children.

Some individuals who sexually exploit minors have a diagnosable pedophilic disorder, while others engage in these offenses for different reasons, including sexual opportunism, antisocial behavior, or a desire to exercise power and control.

Researchers caution that sexual attraction and criminal behavior are not interchangeable. Not every person experiencing an attraction to children commits an offense, and not everyone who sexually exploits a minor meets the diagnostic criteria for pedophilic disorder.

For some offenders, researchers have identified patterns of distorted thinking that allow them to minimize the seriousness of their actions.

A 2020 systematic review examining cognitive distortions among individuals involved in online child sexual exploitation described how offenders may rationalize their behavior.

"Cognitive distortions are employed by individuals to rationalize their behavior before, during, and after committing an offense," the researchers explained.

Such rationalizations may include convincing themselves that viewing abusive material is less harmful than physically abusing a child, that their actions are private, or that they are not personally responsible for the abuse depicted.

But those rationalizations ignore a fundamental reality: child sexual abuse material documents the exploitation of children, and its continued circulation can inflict lasting harm on victims.

Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of these crimes is the willingness of offenders to take extraordinary risks despite knowing the potential consequences.

Law enforcement agencies regularly publicize arrests involving online exploitation. Federal prosecutors announce lengthy prison sentences, while local sheriff's offices conduct undercover operations targeting adults who attempt to arrange sexual encounters with minors.

Yet arrests continue.

In a published study examining the challenges of investigating and prosecuting child sexual abuse material offenses in the United States, one law enforcement professional expressed astonishment at the willingness of offenders to use online systems known to be monitored by investigators.

"I'm still kind of astounded how many people use it because it's open information that law enforcement monitors," the investigator told researchers.

The observation highlights a troubling contradiction: Some offenders continue participating in illegal online activity despite widespread knowledge that investigators actively monitor certain platforms and file-sharing networks.

Researcher Eoin Balfe, who examined how online child sexual offenders perceive surveillance and attempt to conceal their identities, reached a similar conclusion about the complexity of offender behavior.

"Offenders are a diverse group when it comes to how they perceive risk and act on those perceptions," Balfe wrote.

His research found that offenders differ considerably in their perceptions of surveillance and their willingness to take precautions against identification.

Some attempt to conceal their identities through technology, while others make surprisingly little effort to hide their activities.

Researchers studying criminal decision-making have also found that people do not always evaluate risks rationally, particularly when immediate gratification, strong sexual interests, or impulsive behavior influence their decisions.

Repeatedly engaging in illegal behavior without immediate consequences may reinforce the mistaken belief that an offender can continue indefinitely.

However, there is an important distinction between an offender's perception of risk and the actual probability of arrest.

Although investigators have developed sophisticated methods of identifying online offenders, no credible evidence establishes that nearly every person who commits these crimes will eventually be caught.

Today's child exploitation investigations increasingly involve specialized forensic techniques, cooperation between technology companies and law enforcement, and information reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Investigators may use internet connection records, account information, digital fingerprints of previously identified abuse material, and forensic examinations of electronic devices to identify suspects.

Online platforms can also report suspected exploitation to NCMEC's CyberTipline, which makes relevant information available to law enforcement agencies.

In 2025, NCMEC received approximately 21.3 million CyberTipline reports involving suspected child sexual exploitation.

The organization also reported approximately 1.4 million reports involving online enticement of children, a substantial increase over the previous year.

These figures do not represent 21.3 million individual offenders or proven crimes. Multiple reports may concern the same incident or material, and reporting practices can influence annual totals.

Nevertheless, they illustrate the enormous volume of suspected exploitation being brought to the attention of child protection organizations and investigators.

Federal authorities have repeatedly warned offenders that using sophisticated technology or anonymous online networks does not guarantee protection from prosecution.

In a June 2026 Department of Justice announcement involving a New Jersey man sentenced to 350 months in federal prison for distributing CSAM through the dark web, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva delivered a direct warning to individuals who believe they can hide their identities online.

"We will still find you," Duva stated.

While that warning reflects law enforcement's determination, investigators acknowledge that identifying every offender remains an enormous challenge.

Some offenders describe their behavior as compulsive or claim they have become addicted to sexually explicit material.

But experts caution against assuming that every individual who repeatedly views CSAM has a clinical addiction.

Compulsive sexual behavior, sexual interests involving children, psychological difficulties, and deliberate criminal choices can overlap, but they are not the same condition.

A systematic review of 35 studies published in 2026 identified several recurring characteristics among individuals involved in CSAM offenses, including distorted thinking, psychological difficulties, adverse childhood experiences, and problematic patterns of internet use.

The findings also underscore that offenders are not a psychologically uniform group.

Some may experience significant difficulty controlling their behavior. Others may deliberately seek out, collect, or distribute illegal material without meeting the criteria for a compulsive disorder.

Regardless of the psychological explanation, compulsive behavior does not eliminate criminal responsibility.

Another concern is whether individuals who possess CSAM will eventually attempt to sexually abuse a child in person.

Researchers emphasize that this progression is not inevitable. 

Sin is progressive!

Some offenders commit online-only offenses, while others have histories involving direct contact offenses or engage in both forms of exploitation.

Risk varies considerably depending on the individual, their behavior, and other factors.

That distinction is important because possession of abusive material does not, by itself, establish that a defendant has physically abused a child.

However, investigators also recognize that online communications can develop into attempts to meet minors for sexual purposes.

NCMEC reported that its CyberTipline received more than 800 reports in 2025 involving offenders who traveled to meet children in person.

For law enforcement, identifying these individuals before a child is physically harmed remains a critical objective.

One of the most damaging misconceptions surrounding CSAM is the belief that downloading or sharing an existing image is a victimless crime.

It is not.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children emphasizes that these images are evidence of real abuse.

"These images and videos depict actual crimes being committed against children," the organization explains.

Behind authentic child sexual abuse material is a child who was exploited, abused, or coerced.

For survivors, the knowledge that images of their abuse may continue circulating online can create enduring psychological harm.

Every new distribution can perpetuate that victimization.

And while offenders may focus on their own desires or the possibility of being arrested, the consequences for the children depicted can last long after a criminal investigation concludes.

Mental health professionals have developed specialized treatment approaches intended to reduce sexual reoffending.

Depending on the individual, treatment may address distorted thinking, impulse regulation, sexual interests, emotional difficulties, and strategies for preventing further harmful behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and other structured interventions are used in some treatment programs.

However, treatment outcomes vary, and there is no universal cure or guarantee that someone will never offend again.

Researchers also distinguish between treating individuals who have already committed offenses and providing confidential preventive services to people concerned about potentially harmful sexual interests before any crime occurs.

The ultimate objective is preventing children from being harmed.

As law enforcement agencies continue investigating child exploitation offenses, one question remains especially troubling.

Why do individuals continue engaging in behavior that could cost them everything?

The answer may involve sexual attraction, distorted thinking, impulsivity, a desire for control, or an unrealistic belief that they will never be identified.

For some offenders, the immediate reward may outweigh their perception of the long-term consequences.

For others, years of escaping detection may create a dangerous sense of invulnerability.

And as researchers have demonstrated, even the knowledge that law enforcement is monitoring online activity does not necessarily deter individuals determined to continue offending.

But understanding those motivations is not the same as excusing the crimes.

The challenge facing law enforcement, mental health professionals, families, and communities is not simply identifying offenders after a crime has occurred.

It is understanding the warning signs, improving prevention, protecting potential victims, and intervening before more children are harmed.

Because behind every arrest statistic and every image of child sexual abuse is a far more important consideration: the safety and well-being of the children whose lives may be permanently affected.

Psychology can only go so far in explaining the evil madness of child sexual abuse. I believe it has much more to do with rebellion against God than psychology. Pre-pubescent children represent a certain godly innocence that evil simply cannot stand and so tries to destroy. It is only when Jesus returns that child sex abuse will be brought under control. "And He will rule with a rod of iron". 

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