Federal judge legalizes AI generated child sex abuse material in USA

 

Federal judge rules that AI-generated child sex abuse material is protected under the First Amendment

By Emily Van de Riet

Published: Sep. 1, 2026 at 2:07 PM PDT

(Gray News) — A federal judge in Wisconsin has ruled that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is protected by the First Amendment, but he voiced concerns about these kinds of cases.

The decision comes in a case against a Wisconsin man who was arrested in 2024 for producing, distributing and possessing AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

According to the Department of Justice, 42-year-old Steven Anderegg used a text-to-image generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) model called Stable Diffusion to create thousands of realistic images of young children.

Many of the images depicted naked children engaging in sexual intercourse with men, the DOJ said. The DOJ said thousands of images were found on Anderegg’s computer.

Anderegg was also accused of sending some of the images to a 15-year-old boy and telling the boy how he created the images using AI.

At the time of Anderegg’s arrest, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said the DOJ was prepared to hold him accountable.

“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,” Argentieri said in May.

But last week, Judge John Z. Lee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss the charges.

In his Aug. 25 decision, the judge referred to two U.S. Supreme Court decisions from 1969 and 2002. The first ruled that people have a right to keep obscenity in the privacy of their homes, and the second ruled that child sex abuse material that does not depict real children is not child pornography and is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In his decision, however, the judge noted that while he is bound by the precedent set by the Supreme Court, he is concerned about “the lines these cases draw” and how quickly AI is evolving.

The judge also noted that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from material that shows real children.

“We now live in an age where GenAI models can render images depicting the abuse of virtual children that are virtually indistinguishable from those depicting the abuse of actual children,” Lee wrote in his decision. “This case illuminates how this evolving technology complicates the lines drawn by the Supreme Court … that was nearly twenty-five years ago, and the image-generation technology available today was likely unimaginable back then. Given the relentless advancement in artificial intelligence models, we have some concerns about the lines these cases draw, but we are not free to redraw them ourselves.”

How can you tell whether a portion of a child, or a whole child, has been morphed into pornography?

Laws need to be rewritten on the side of caution in protecting children and discouraging pedophilia. Pedophilia should be a crime whether the child victims are real or fictitious. Sin is progressive!

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CSA in the USA > MS man gets 10 years for CSAM; Tucson airmen ready to pay to rape a child; Mall Manager charged with 137 counts of CSAM; WSU student arrested for CSAM

 

MS man gets 10 years for moving child sex abuse files to the cloud

by: Vivian Nguyen

Posted: Aug 27, 2026 / 03:39 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 27, 2026 / 03:39 PM CDT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Corinth, Mississippi, man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for moving child sexual abuse files from the dark web to cloud storage, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi.

Zachary “Zach” Alan Little, 36, was sentenced after being found with almost 4,000 child sexual abuse files, the attorney’s office said.

Many of the sexually explicit images and videos involved children between seven and 10 years old, prosecutors said.

Little was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and will have to register as a sex offender.

The FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office were involved in the investigation of the case.

Former airman accused of offering to pay to rape child reaches plea deal

Karl Alexander Streets admits to child possessing child sexual abuse material

By Michael Cooper, Kayla Butter and 13 News Staff

Published: Apr. 21, 2026 at 10:34 AM PDT|Updated: Aug. 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM PDT

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The former Davis-Monthan airman accused of offering to pay to rape a young child and who was caught with child sexual abuse material has reached a plea deal.

Karl Alexander Streets was in court on Friday, Aug. 28, and pleaded to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of sexual conduct. He had been indicted on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The 37-year-old Streets will be held without bond until sentencing, which has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 15.

Streets was arrested on April 20, 2026, following a year-long investigation.

Former SouthPark Mall manager charged with 137 counts of possession of child sex abuse materials

WSU student arrested on Pullman campus for child sexual abuse material

PULLMAN, Wash. – An 18-year-old Washington State University (WSU) student was arrested on Friday for possession of child sexual abuse material during an ongoing investigation, according to the Pullman Police Department (PPD).

PPD officers and detectives executed search warrants at a dorm room in Olympia Hall on the WSU campus, where they detained the 18-year-old student.

According to the department, he was booked into the Whitman County Jail on a felony charge of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The investigation commenced following a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“There are no additional suspects outstanding, and there is no known risk to the public related to this investigation,” PPD officials stated.

CSA in the EU > AI-generated child sex abuse material made illegal in Europe

 

Creating, altering and distributing AI-generated child sexual abuse material is criminalised under Council of Europe conventions

Countries urged to review reservations that limit prosecution for AI-generated abuse material

Monegasque Secretary of State for Justice Samuel Vuelta Simon (left) exchanges with the Council of Europe’s Matthias Kloth before the joint meeting

The Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Convention committee and the Committee of the parties to the Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse have issued a joint statement following a session held on 2 June 2026 in Strasbourg addressing the growing threats posed by AI-generated and altered child-sexual-exploitation and sexual-abuse material.

The joint statement underlines that the criminalisation provisions of the Convention on cybercrime and the Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (Lanzarote Convention) are technology-neutral and apply irrespective of the technologies used to create, alter or distribute such material, including through the use of artificial intelligence.

Addressing the growing threats of AI-generated child abuse material

During the joint session, committee members discussed the rapidly evolving use of artificial intelligence technologies to create, alter and disseminate such material, including fully AI-generated images and altered images depicting real children. Participants highlighted concerns that these technologies facilitate offending on a greater scale, complicate investigations and evidentiary assessments, and intensify harm to victims through grooming, extortion, “normalisation” of sexual abuse and the continued circulation and manipulation of abusive material.

It is important to ensure that existing legal frameworks remain effective in addressing offences involving AI-generated or altered material, the participants stressed. The committees encouraged state parties to both conventions to review reservations that may limit the criminalisation or prosecution of AI-generated or altered child sexual-exploitation or sexual-abuse material in light of the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies.

Supporting effective investigations, victim protection and international cooperation

The joint statement reiterates that the procedural powers and international cooperation measures available under the Convention on Cybercrime and its second additional protocol, together with the preventive, protective and child-friendly justice measures of the Lanzarote Convention, can be used to counter offences involving AI-generated or altered child-sexual-exploitation or sexual-abuse material.

The committees encouraged states parties to the conventions to strengthen efforts to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute offences involving such material, including through enhanced international cooperation, the rapid removal of such material, specialised training for relevant professionals, and closer engagement with service providers and technology companies.

Continued cooperation among criminal-justice authorities, child-protection actors, international organisations, civil society and private-sector stakeholders is vital for addressing emerging technological developments related to online sexual offences against children.

Workshops on child sexual violence

The joint session identified possible follow-up activities, including a workshop during the Octopus conference in October 2026 focusing on the impact of AI-generated child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse material on victims, as well as the inclusion of computer-generated child sexual exploitation or sexual abuse material as a thematic workstream during the joint Council of Europe and WeProtect Global Alliance conference in June 2027.

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 Read the joint statement in full

 Discover more about the Council of Europe’s work for children

 Read the programme of the joint session in full

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CSA in the USA > EMS worker gets 18 years for CSA, CSAM; Two cruise passengers arrested in Miami for CSAM; Inmate creates CSAM from inside KY prison

 

Former Durham EMS worker sentenced to 18 years in prison for child exploitation offenses

Friday, July 31, 2026 2:03PM

APEX, N.C. (WTVD) -- An Apex man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material and one count related to the production of an animal crush video.

Court records show Andrew Childs possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material and produced a video depicting the sexual abuse of a dog.

At the time of his arrest, Childs worked for Durham Emergency Medical Services. Authorities said the crimes were not connected to his employment.

The case was investigated by the FBI Charlotte Field Office's Raleigh Resident Agency and the Durham Police Department, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Federal officials said the prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse and identifying victims.

Second cruise passenger accused of possessing child sex abuse content

Steve Lawson, 45, and Michael Simmons, 40, were searched separately by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after the Norwegian cruise docked on Friday.

Two South Florida men who were taken into custody at PortMiami after coming off a cruise are accused of having child sexual abuse content on their phones.

Steve Lawson, 45, and Michael Simmons, 40, were searched separately by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after the Norwegian cruise docked on Friday.

The two have no apparent connection other than what authorities found on their phones.

Lawson, a well-known wedding photographer, is charged with possessing and transporting child sexual abuse material.

The criminal complaint says Lawson’s phone had 14 videos in an app on his phone, including an hour-long video showing a compilation of more than 100 underage girls performing sexual acts.

The complaint states Lawson admitted to buying the video using cryptocurrency while on the cruise because he was “enticed to do so after he observed female minors in bikinis on the cruise.”

"We recognize the serious nature of the charges and are committed to working diligently through the legal process to achieve a fair and just resolution of this case," his attorneys from Lawson & Simmons, PLLC said in the statement.

Meanwhile, federal documents detail a separate case involving Simmons, who is accused of having videos of underage girls showering between the ages of 9 and 11, who were friends of his daughter.

Documents also show that Simmons admitted to recording the videos himself back in 2014.

He is now facing production of child sexual abuse material. NBC6 is awaiting a response from his attorney.

Both men are in federal custody, with their arraignments set for Aug. 10.

Ky. inmate gets 28 years for producing child sexual abuse material from jail

Prosecutors said Daniel Hoskins used the jail’s monitored communications system to coerce a victim into creating explicit images while incarcerated

August 02, 2026 07:21 AM

Madison County Detention Center/Facebook

By Christopher Leach
Lexington Herald-Leader

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky man will spend years in federal prison for producing child pornography while incarcerated, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Daniel Hoskins, 56, was sentenced to 28 years in prison on Thursday, July 23, after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. The attorney’s office said he used the Madison County jail’s call system to produce child porn from a victim who he knew before his incarceration.

Court documents say the victim ran away from a foster home on June 7, 2024, to be with Hoskins. The victim and Hoskins met a few weeks prior during a camping trip and started a relationship that was believed to be initiated by Hoskins.

The victim was entered into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children seven days after she ran away.

On April 26, 2025, someone spotted Hoskins and the victim kissing in Hoskins’ vehicle in the Richmond Mall parking lot and called police. Court documents say Hoskins was arrested after investigators found sexually explicit images of the victim on his phone.

Hoskins was charged with possession of a matter of sexual performance by a minor between 12 and 18 years old and tampering with evidence in Madison District Court . He was booked into the Madison County Detention Center.

Court documents say inmates at the Madison County jail have the ability to make phone and video calls through the jail’s call system. Hoskins communicated with the victim on a daily basis through phone calls, video calls and text messages and asked the victim to provide sexually explicit images several times.

Calls on the jail’s video call system are not private and are monitored and/or recorded, according to court documents. His access to the call system was revoked after jail officials discovered his activity, but he continued communicating with the victim through other inmates’ accounts.

Hoskins pleaded guilty to the federal production of child pornography charges April 20. His Madison District Court case remains ongoing with a status hearing scheduled for Sept. 3, according to court records.

CSA Globally > Global Pervert facing 68 CSA charges in Toronto

 

57-year-old Toronto man charged with using Snapchat, TikTok, and Fortnite to lure children

By

  Phil Tsekouras

Opens in new window

Published: July 29, 2

026 at 11:00AM EDT

A Toronto Police Services logo is shown at headquarters, in Toronto, on Friday, August 9, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

A Toronto man who allegedly used Snapchat, TikTok, and Fortnite to lure and exploit at least 15 children in Canada, the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. is facing 68 charges.

Police revealed Wednesday that they received a report in March about child sexual abuse and exploitation material (CSAEM) being uploaded to social media.

That led police to execute a search warrant at a residence near Broadview Street and Danforth Avenue in April. Investigators said they found electronic devices that belonged to the accused and contained CSAEM.

Police said they also discovered the suspect had used false personas and identities—including pretending to be a female—to lure and exploit children online.

Metin Ugur, 57, was arrested on April 16 and charged with two counts each of accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, among other offences.

The name Ugur is of Turkish origin and so probably indicates a Muslim bent. Note that the girls he lured were from English-speaking and generally white countries. This makes me wonder if he, like the UK's Pakistani Muslim groomers, believed he had the right to abuse little white girls because they were kafir?

Police alleged that he used the aliases “Chase_woolf,” “Chase_woolf13,” “Noah.scout,” “Noah_scout_13” for his male online persona and “Hey_woolfie” for his female persona. They said that Ugur also used Discord and Instagram to communicate with his victims.

As the investigation unfolded, police said they located additional victims located in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, as well as in the U.S., Australia, Scotland, and England.

Investigators laid an additional 61 charges against Ugur as a result, including 14 counts of luring a person under 18 years old and seven counts of making available sexually explicit matter to a person under 18 years old.

“Internet Child Exploitation has no borders, and neither do our investigations. The investigation is ongoing, and we will go where the evidence leads, working with our local and international partners to identify potential victims,” Det. Sgt. Alicia Murray, of the Sex Crimes Unit - Internet Child Exploitation, said in a statement. “Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.”

Police told CTV News they do not have a photo of the accused.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact police at 416−808−8500 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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