{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T07:09:50.315Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"ai-csam","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":4,"coverage":{"cases":4,"countries":3,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":4,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":0,"minors":4,"coreRelations":4,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2026-sherwood-park-alberta-man-charged-ai-sexualised-images-of-children-known-to-him","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'is accused of using artificial intelligence to make child sexual abuse materials'; 'ICE discovered an extensive collection of manufactured child sexual abuse materials.'; 'allegedly used AI applications to sexualize photos and videos of numerous victims that were known to him.'; 'took advantage of open social media accounts and used posted photos as his source of material to alter.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'sexualize images of underage people he knows'; 'The accused allegedly used AI applications to sexualize photos and videos of numerous victims that were known to him.'; 'ALERT said the accused took advantage of open social media accounts and used posted photos as a source of material to alter.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'is accused of using AI applications to sexualize photos and videos of victims known to him.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit alleges that the man used AI applications to sexualise photos and videos of numerous victims known to him, described by Global News as underage people he knows, taking posted photos from open social media accounts as his source material, and that a forensic analysis of devices seized from his home found an extensive collection of manufactured child sexual abuse material.","causal_attribution":"Police allegation in a news release, relayed by two outlets; no court finding, and the accused has not entered a plea in the inspected sources."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'was charged by ICE on September 25, 2026 on one charge of making child sexual abuse materials that cover numerous instances.'; 'He was initially arrested by ICE on June 25, 2026 following reports that he allegedly shared child sexual abuse materials online. At that time, he was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials.'; 'was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions, including not to have any communication with anyone under the age of 16 and not to attend public pools, schools, playgrounds, or public libraries.'; 'He is scheduled to appear in court in Strathcona County on October 16, 2026.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'initially arrested a 51-year-old man on June 25, following reports he allegedly was sharing child sexual abuse materials online.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'He was released from custody on court-imposed conditions, including not to have any communication with anyone under the age of 16 and to not attend public schools, playgrounds or public libraries.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"He was charged on 25 September 2026 with one count of making child sexual abuse materials covering numerous instances, having first been arrested on 25 June 2026 and charged with possessing, accessing and transmitting child sexual abuse materials; he was released on court-imposed conditions and is due in court in Strathcona County on 16 October 2026.","causal_attribution":"Charge and court details as stated in the police release; the outlets repeat them."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'unit believes there are numerous victims.'; 'investigation is ongoing and is attempting to identify victims.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'believes there are numerous victims in the case out of Sherwood Park'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"ALERT says it believes there are numerous victims and that the investigation is ongoing to identify them.","causal_attribution":"Police statement; no count is given."}],"effects":[{"label":"photos and videos of numerous children known to the accused were sexualised with AI applications, using photos posted on open social media accounts as source material (police allegation)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://alert-ab.ca/sherwood-park-man-accused-of-using-ai-to-make-child-sexual-abuse-materials/","kind":"official_police_release","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-30 (ALERT news release dated 29 September 2026, Edmonton). The originating police account.","independence_group":"alert-ice-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/12077556/sherwood-park-artificial-intelligence-child-sexual-abuse-materials/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-30 (Global News, Karen Bartko, posted 29 September 2026). Relays the ALERT release and adds context on earlier Alberta AI-image cases; no independent reporting of this case.","independence_group":"alert-ice-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/edmonton-area-man-accused-of-making-child-sexual-abuse-materials-with-ai/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-30 (CTV News Edmonton, Hannah Kavanagh, published 29 September 2026); the article text was taken from the page's structured data. Relays the ALERT release.","independence_group":"alert-ice-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","relationships"],"unknowns":["Which AI applications were used.","How many children were depicted, who they are, and whether they or their families have been informed.","Whether the AI-altered material was shared or distributed.","When the altered material was made.","Whether he has entered a plea; the outcome of the charges.","Whether the earlier June 2026 charges concern material of the same children."],"geography":{"basis":"The accused lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta, where devices were seized from his home; the charge is laid by Alberta's ICE unit and the case is before the court in Strathcona County, Alberta (ALERT release). Where the depicted children live is not stated, though ALERT says they were known to him.","court_countries":["CA"],"event_countries":["CA"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated) consistent with existing AI child-abuse-image rows: Alberta's police child-exploitation unit alleges that a man used AI applications to sexualise photos and videos of numerous children known to him, using photos posted on open social media accounts as source material, and has charged him with making child sexual abuse material. The account is a single police chain (the ALERT release relayed by Global News and CTV); neither the accused nor any child is named here, and the charge is untested in court.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit alleges in its news release that the man used AI applications to sexualise photos and videos of numerous victims known to him, using photos posted on open social media accounts as source material; Global News and CTV News Edmonton relay the same release. The applications are not named.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Sherwood Park, Alberta: a 51-year-old man was charged on 25 September 2026 with making child sexual abuse material after Alberta's Internet Child Exploitation unit said he used AI applications to sexualise photos and videos of numerous children known to him, using photos posted on open social media accounts as source material","summary":"Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said on 29 September 2026 that its Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit had charged a 51-year-old Sherwood Park man on 25 September with one count of making child sexual abuse materials covering numerous instances. The man had first been arrested on 25 June 2026, after reports that he shared child sexual abuse material online, and charged with possessing, accessing and transmitting such material; a forensic analysis of computers and devices seized from his home then found what ALERT describes as an extensive collection of manufactured child sexual abuse material. ALERT alleges he used AI applications to sexualise photos and videos of numerous victims known to him, taking posted photos from open social media accounts as his source material. Investigators believe there are numerous victims and are still identifying them. He was released on court-imposed conditions, including no communication with anyone under 16 and no attendance at public pools, schools, playgrounds or public libraries, and is due in Strathcona County court on 16 October 2026. Global News and CTV News Edmonton carried the release. The children are not identified and their number is not reported.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-29","aiSystem":"AI applications used, according to ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit, to sexualise photos and videos of children taken from open social media accounts (tools not named)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Photos and videos of numerous children known to the accused were sexualised with AI applications, using photos posted on open social media accounts as source material, according to ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation unit; he is charged with making child sexual abuse materials covering numerous instances.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"ALERT says it believes there are numerous victims and is still identifying them; no count is given, and image counts are not person counts. Unquantified, numeric placeholders 0.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"CA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"pending","primarySourceUrl":"https://alert-ab.ca/sherwood-park-man-accused-of-using-ai-to-make-child-sexual-abuse-materials/","primarySourceLabel":"ALERT (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams) news release, 29 September 2026: Sherwood Park man accused of using AI to make child sexual abuse materials","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:27.674268+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:27.674268+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-csam","deepfakes","children","alberta","sherwood-park","strathcona-county","criminal-charges","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-dexter-missouri-man-charged-ai-undressed-photographs-of-children","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A Dexter man is accused of using an AI chatbot to remove the clothing of photographed children and create sexually explicit images.'; 'upload them to an AI generator to undress them'; 'He stated one that had absolutely no regulations was on (information redacted).'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to the probable cause statement as reported by the Daily American Republic, the man is accused of using an AI chatbot to remove the clothing of photographed children and create sexually explicit images; interviewed by police, he said he would get photographs of children from a redacted source and upload them to an AI generator to undress them, and that one such tool had no regulations.","causal_attribution":"The allegation and the reported admission come from the probable cause statement as read by one newspaper; the accused has pleaded not guilty and the police statements carried by other outlets do not mention AI."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'On September 25, Stoddard County Prosecutor Sawyer Smith and Assistant Prosecutor Chase Dembowski formally charged'; 'One count of Class A felony of sexual exploitation of a minor'; 'One count of Class B felony of sexual exploitation of a minor'; 'Three counts of Class B felony of possession of child sexual abuse material - second subsequent offense or possess more than 20 pictures/one film/video'; 'is currently being held on a no-bond warrant at the Stoddard County Jail.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'He faces felony charges of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, second subsequent offense or possession of more than 20 items. He is being held at Stoddard County jail'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'was arrested and is currently being held on a no bond warrant for charges including sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"He faces two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (second subsequent offense or possession of more than 20 items) and is held at the Stoddard County Jail.","causal_attribution":"The charge list is given by the Daily American Republic from the preliminary hearing and, in one police chain, by KFVS12 and KWOC from the Dexter Police Department; the filing date, felony classes and no-bond status are in the police chain only (c7)."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday, Sept. 29, during a preliminary hearing before Stoddard County Judge Leann Below.'; 'is next due in court Oct. 22'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"He pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing before a Stoddard County judge on 29 September 2026 and is next due in court on 22 October 2026.","causal_attribution":"Court report by the Daily American Republic; no other inspected source covers the hearing."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The Dexter Police Department said in August, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force contacted one of its detectives about a tip involving suspicious internet activity.'; 'The investigation is active and ongoing. Additional charges may be filed as investigators continue to review evidence.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'in August his department was contacted by the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, regarding a tip of suspicious internet activity.'; 'a warrant was obtained to search the suspects social media applications and electronic devices, which yielded a significant amount of child sexual abuse material.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'The DPD conducted a two-month investigation'; 'A search warrant was obtained Sept. 21 for the residence'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"In August 2026 the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force contacted the Dexter Police Department about a tip of suspicious internet activity; a warrant to search the suspect's social media applications and electronic devices yielded a significant amount of child sexual abuse material, and police say the investigation is ongoing and further charges may follow.","causal_attribution":"The Dexter Police Department's account carried by KFVS12 and KWOC (one police chain). The Daily American Republic attributes the two-month investigation to the same police chief and the 21 September search warrant to the police-authored probable cause statement, so no independent chain supports this claim; its intake account also differs (a North Carolina task force received the cybertip on 20 April and the case was assigned to Dexter police on 30 July, see c5)."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A North Carolina task force received the initial cybertip April 20 regarding the possible possession, manufacture, or distribution of child pornography'; 'The tip came from an LLC whose company name was redacted in a probable cause filed with Stoddard County courts. The LLC operates a publicly accessible generative artificial intelligence chatbot.'; 'The case was assigned to the DPD jurisdiction July 30. DPD said there were two other cybertips linked to the case.'; 'The probable cause lists descriptions of multiple files of sexually explicit images of an adult male and a young girl.'; 'The case went from North Carolina law enforcement to South Carolina law enforcement before'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to the probable cause statement as reported, the initial cybertip on 20 April 2026 came from a company, its name redacted, that operates a publicly accessible generative AI chatbot; the case passed from North Carolina to South Carolina law enforcement and was assigned to Dexter police on 30 July, with two other cybertips linked to it, and the statement describes files of sexually explicit images of an adult male and a young girl.","causal_attribution":"Single newspaper account of the probable cause statement; the company is redacted and the report does not say whether the described files were AI-generated."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'registered sex offender for two cases of child sex crimes in South Carolina, according to the Dexter Police Department.'; 'he was convicted in 2018 in South Carolina for sexual exploitation of a minor.'; 'He was then convicted in 2023 in South Carolina of sexual exploitation of a minor.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The Daily American Republic reports, citing the Dexter Police Department and the probable cause statement, that he is a registered sex offender with prior South Carolina convictions for sexual exploitation of a minor in 2018 and 2023.","causal_attribution":"Context for the charge wording (second subsequent offense) from one newspaper's account of the probable cause statement."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'On September 25, Stoddard County Prosecutor Sawyer Smith and Assistant Prosecutor Chase Dembowski formally charged'; 'One count of Class A felony of sexual exploitation of a minor'; 'One count of Class B felony of sexual exploitation of a minor'; 'Three counts of Class B felony of possession of child sexual abuse material - second subsequent offense or possess more than 20 pictures/one film/video'; 'is currently being held on a no-bond warrant at the Stoddard County Jail.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'is currently being held on a no bond warrant for charges including sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"KFVS12 reports from the Dexter Police Department that the Stoddard County Prosecutor and an assistant prosecutor filed the charges on 25 September 2026, that the exploitation counts are one Class A and one Class B felony and the three possession counts Class B felonies, and that he is held on a no-bond warrant; KWOC carries the no-bond detail from the police chief.","causal_attribution":"Dexter Police Department statement carried by KFVS12 and KWOC (one chain)."}],"effects":[{"label":"photographs of children were uploaded to an AI tool to undress them and create sexually explicit images (probable cause statement as reported)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.darnews.com/news/dexter-man-accused-of-using-ai-chatbot-to-create-explicit-images-of-real-children-from-clothed-photographs-0a5c9f5b","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-30 from an Internet Archive capture (20260930031802) requested during this review because darnews.com answers HTTP 403 to this host; the article body was recovered from the page's embedded data payload (the page is marked not free to access). Court and probable-cause reporting by Donna Farley, Daily American Republic, published 29 September 2026; the Dexter police chief is also quoted.","independence_group":"dar-court-report"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.kfvs12.com/2026/09/28/dexter-mo-man-accused-child-sex-crimes/","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-30 (KFVS12 Heartland News, Olivia Tock, 28 September 2026). Carries the Dexter Police Department's account of the investigation and the prosecutor's charges.","independence_group":"dexter-pd-statement"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.kwoc.com/localnews/2026/9/28/0bymnd1a5eeukxwpm9srorwdax443l","kind":"local_radio_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-30 (KWOC News, Today's Talk for 29 September 2026, Shawn Mannon). The Dexter police chief's account to the station; same police chain as KFVS12.","independence_group":"dexter-pd-statement"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy"],"unknowns":["Which AI chatbot or generator was used; the company that sent the cybertip is redacted in the probable cause statement.","Which children were depicted, how many, whether they are known to the accused, and whether any were informed.","Whether the files described as depicting an adult male and a young girl are AI-generated.","Whether any images were shared or distributed.","When the images were made (before the 20 April 2026 cybertip).","The case number and the outcome of the charges; the next hearing is 22 October 2026."],"geography":{"basis":"The accused lives in Dexter, Missouri; the search, arrest and charges are in Stoddard County, Missouri, and the case is before the Stoddard County court (Daily American Republic, KFVS12, KWOC). Where the depicted children live is not stated.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated) consistent with existing AI child-abuse-image rows: a probable cause statement, as reported by the local newspaper, records that a man uploaded photographs of children to an AI generator to undress them, the first cybertip came from the company operating a generative AI chatbot, and he is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. The charges and investigation are carried by two local outlets from the police; the AI element rests on the newspaper's reading of the probable cause statement and the accused has pleaded not guilty. Neither the accused nor any child is named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Daily American Republic reports from the probable cause statement that the man said he would get photographs of children and upload them to an AI generator to undress them, and that the initial cybertip came from a company operating a publicly accessible generative AI chatbot. The tools are redacted or unnamed, and the police statements carried by KFVS12 and KWOC do not mention AI.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Dexter, Missouri: a 43-year-old man pleaded not guilty on 29 September 2026 to sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material after a probable cause statement said he uploaded photographs of children to an AI generator to undress them; the statement, as reported, says the first cybertip came from a company operating a generative AI chatbot","summary":"The Daily American Republic (29 September 2026) reports that a 43-year-old Dexter, Missouri man is accused of using an AI chatbot to remove the clothing of photographed children and create sexually explicit images. According to the newspaper's account of the probable cause statement filed in Stoddard County, the initial cybertip on 20 April 2026 came from a company, its name redacted, that operates a publicly accessible generative AI chatbot; when police interviewed him, the man said he would get photographs of children from a redacted source and upload them to an AI generator to undress them, and that one such tool had no regulations. Dexter police, contacted by the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in August, searched his social media applications and electronic devices and found a significant amount of child sexual abuse material (KFVS12, KWOC). Stoddard County prosecutors charged him on 25 September 2026 with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material; he pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing on 29 September, is held without bond and is next due in court on 22 October. The children are not identified and how many were depicted is not reported.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-28","aiSystem":"A publicly accessible generative AI chatbot operated by a company whose name is redacted in the probable cause statement, and an 'AI generator' the accused said he used to undress photographs of children (Daily American Republic's account of the probable cause statement); no tool is named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Photographs of children were uploaded to an AI tool to remove their clothing and create sexually explicit images, according to the probable cause statement as reported by the Daily American Republic; the man is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material and has pleaded not guilty.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The probable cause statement, as reported, refers to photographs of children uploaded to an AI generator and to files depicting a young girl, but no count of real children depicted is reported. Unquantified, numeric placeholders 0.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"pending","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.darnews.com/news/dexter-man-accused-of-using-ai-chatbot-to-create-explicit-images-of-real-children-from-clothed-photographs-0a5c9f5b","primarySourceLabel":"Daily American Republic, 29 September 2026: Dexter man accused of using AI chatbot to create explicit images of real children from clothed photographs","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:23.864538+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:23.864538+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-csam","nudify","children","missouri","dexter","stoddard-county","criminal-charges","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-colchester-essex-man-admits-ai-sexualised-images-of-children-known-to-him","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'had created “deepfake sexually explicit images of people known to the defendant”.'; 'He added some of pictures were of children as young as 12 and nine years old, but had been edited so they looked as young as five and six.'; 'The court heard'; 'had taken the photos from “Facebook and other social media accounts – those pictures using AI to create new images.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The prosecutor told Chelmsford Magistrates' Court that the defendant created deepfake sexually explicit images of people known to him by taking photos from Facebook and other social media and using AI to create new images, some of children as young as 12 and nine edited to look as young as five and six.","causal_attribution":"Prosecution statement in court as reported; the defence offered no account at this hearing."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.'; 'There will be a hearing commencing on October 26, 2026'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The defendant admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image, and was bailed to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court from 26 October 2026.","causal_attribution":"Court report; the pleas cover all images, not only AI-made ones."}],"effects":[{"label":"children's photos taken from social media were turned into sexualised AI images, some edited to look younger (prosecution in court)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/26575261.colchester-man-used-ai-create-deepfake-pics-children/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-29 (Colchester Gazette, Newsquest, 24 September 2026). Court report of the magistrates' hearing; syndicated to other Newsquest titles.","independence_group":"newsquest-chelmsford-court-report"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","relationships"],"unknowns":["How many real children were depicted and whether any were informed.","Which AI tool was used and how many of the images were AI-generated.","Whether any images were shared.","When the images were made.","The sentence."],"geography":{"basis":"Police raided the defendant's address in Colchester, Essex, and the case is before Chelmsford Magistrates' and Crown Courts (Colchester Gazette). Where the depicted children live is not stated.","court_countries":["GB"],"event_countries":["GB"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated) consistent with existing AI child-abuse-image rows: the prosecution said a man used AI on photos taken from social media, including of children, to make sexualised images of people known to him, and he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. The account is a single court report; neither the defendant nor any child is named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The prosecutor told the court the defendant took photos from Facebook and other social media and used AI to create new images, describing them as deepfake sexually explicit images of people known to him (Colchester Gazette). The tool is not named and the share of AI-generated images among those seized is not reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Colchester, Essex: a 39-year-old man admitted making indecent images of children after the prosecution said he had used AI on photos taken from social media, including of children as young as nine, to create sexualised images of people known to him; he is due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court","summary":"The Colchester Gazette (24 September 2026, also carried by other Newsquest titles) reports that a 39-year-old man from Colchester admitted at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. Police had seized two mobile devices in a raid on his address the previous year, holding nearly 2,000 indecent images of children. The prosecutor said he had created 'deepfake sexually explicit images of people known to the defendant', taking photos from Facebook and other social-media accounts and using AI to create new images; some of the children were as young as 12 and nine and had been edited to look as young as five and six. Magistrates declined jurisdiction and he was bailed to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 26 October 2026. The children are not identified and how many real children were depicted is not reported.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-24","aiSystem":"Unnamed AI tools used to turn children's photos taken from Facebook and other social media into sexualised images (prosecutor in court as reported by the Colchester Gazette)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Photos of children taken from social media were turned into sexualised AI images, some edited to make the children look younger, according to the prosecution in court, which described the deepfakes as depicting people known to the defendant (Colchester Gazette); the man admitted making indecent images of children.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The prosecution refers to deepfakes of people known to the defendant and to pictures of children as young as nine and 12, but the number of real children depicted is not reported; image counts are not person counts. Unquantified, numeric placeholders 0.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"GB","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"pending","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/26575261.colchester-man-used-ai-create-deepfake-pics-children/","primarySourceLabel":"Colchester Gazette, 24 September 2026: Man used AI to create sexual image of girls as young as nine years old","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T03:21:46.06557+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:33.228692+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-csam","deepfakes","children","essex","colchester","guilty-plea","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-portland-tennessee-ai-child-faces-sexual-images-traded-canada-30-year-sentence","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'placed the faces of children onto images and videos of nude people and people engaged in sexual acts.'; 'Investigators said he then exchanged the AI-generated material with a Canadian resident for real child sexual abuse material.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'had been placing the faces of children on nude individuals, as well as individuals who were engaging in sexual acts.'; 'would exchange the content with someone in Canada in exchange for real child sexual abuse material.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to the district attorney's office, he used AI to place the faces of children onto images and videos of nude people and of people engaged in sexual acts, and exchanged the AI-generated material with a Canadian resident for real child sexual abuse material.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors' account via one release; the source images, the children and the AI tool are not described."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Canadian authorities alerted U.S. law enforcement after arresting the person who'; 'charged with tampering with evidence after investigators alleged he deleted some material before officers entered his home to execute a search warrant.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'was arrested in November 2025 after a joint investigation by Portland Police, the US Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Canadian authorities alerted US law enforcement after arresting the person he was communicating with; a joint investigation led to his arrest in November 2025, and he was also charged with tampering with evidence after investigators said he deleted material before officers entered his home.","causal_attribution":"DA release as relayed."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Judge Dee David Gay imposed the 30-year sentence, which the district attorney’s office said must be served without probation, parole or early release under Tennessee law.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'On Thursday, Sept. 24, a judge sentenced'; 'to serve 30 years in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'A Sumner County judge imposed the 30-year sentence Thursday.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"A Sumner County Criminal Court judge sentenced him to 30 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction, to be served without probation, parole or early release.","causal_attribution":"DA release as relayed; WSMV gives the day as Friday, WKRN and WZTV as Thursday 24 September. The court record was not inspected."}],"effects":[{"label":"children's faces were placed onto AI-made sexual images and videos that were traded for real child sexual abuse material, according to prosecutors","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.wsmv.com/2026/09/25/middle-tennessee-man-sentenced-30-years-using-ai-create-trade-child-pornography/","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-28 (WSMV, 25 September 2026). Relays the DA's release. WVLT carries the same Gray text.","independence_group":"sumner-county-da-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/portland-man-sentenced-using-ai-162610165.html","kind":"local_tv_news_syndicated_copy","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-28: Yahoo's syndicated copy of WKRN's report (25 September 2026); wkrn.com returned 403 to this host. Quotes the DA's release.","independence_group":"sumner-county-da-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://newschannel9.com/news/local/tennessee-sumner-county-man-gets-30-years-for-trading-ai-generated-child-abuse-images-with-canadian-man","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-28: WZTV (FOX 17) report of 25 September 2026 as carried by sister station WTVC.","independence_group":"sumner-county-da-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://fox17.com/news/local/after-30-year-sentence-in-tn-ai-child-abuse-case-former-fbi-agent-warns-more-are-coming","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-28 (WZTV/FOX 17, 26 September 2026). Case facts from the DA; adds a former FBI agent's general comments, not used as case evidence.","independence_group":"sumner-county-da-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["justice","privacy"],"unknowns":["Which offences he was convicted of, and whether by plea or at trial.","Which AI tool was used, where the children's images came from, and whether any depicted child has been identified or notified.","How many children's faces were used.","When the images were made and traded (the arrest was in November 2025).","The exact sentencing date (24 or 25 September 2026)."],"geography":{"basis":"He lived in Portland, Sumner County, Tennessee, where officers searched his home, and was sentenced in Sumner County Criminal Court. The other party was a Canadian resident arrested by Canadian authorities; where the exchanges took place beyond that is not stated. The children's countries are not reported.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depiction case: prosecutors say AI was used to place the faces of children onto sexual images and videos that were traded internationally, and a court imposed a 30-year sentence. One DA release chain; all claims reported. The children are unidentified and uncounted, and the defendant is not named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The district attorney's release says he used artificial intelligence to place children's faces onto sexual images and videos (via WSMV, WKRN, WZTV). The tool, the source images and the identity of the children are not reported. The depicted_or_impersonated relation rests on the prosecutors' description of the faces of children being placed onto the images and videos.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Portland, Tennessee: a man who prosecutors say used AI to put children's faces onto sexual images and videos and traded them with a Canadian resident for real child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 30 years in Sumner County in September 2026","summary":"The Sumner County (18th Judicial District) District Attorney's Office said a 30-year-old Portland, Tennessee man was sentenced in Sumner County Criminal Court in September 2026 to 30 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction, to be served without probation, parole or early release. According to the prosecutors, he used artificial intelligence to place the faces of children onto images and videos of nude people and of people engaged in sexual acts, then exchanged the material with a Canadian resident for real child sexual abuse material. Canadian authorities found messages and material connected to him after arresting the person he was communicating with and alerted US law enforcement; a joint investigation by Portland police, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the TBI led to his arrest in November 2025. He was also charged with tampering with evidence after investigators said he deleted material before officers entered his home to execute a search warrant. The children whose faces were used are not identified, their number is not reported, and the reports do not say which AI tool was used or which offences he was convicted of.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-25","aiSystem":"Unnamed AI tool or tools that prosecutors say he used to place children's faces onto sexual images and videos; the tool is not identified in any inspected report","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Prosecutors say children's faces were placed onto AI-made sexual images and videos that were traded internationally in exchange for real child sexual abuse material (Sumner County DA release via WSMV, WKRN and WZTV). The children are not identified.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The prosecutors refer to 'children' whose faces were used but give no number, and none is identified; children depicted in the real material he received are not counted because that material is not AI-made and is not described. Unquantified, with zero placeholders.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-TN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.wsmv.com/2026/09/25/middle-tennessee-man-sentenced-30-years-using-ai-create-trade-child-pornography/","primarySourceLabel":"WSMV, 25 September 2026: Middle Tennessee man sentenced to 30 years for using AI to create, trade child pornography","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T03:31:23.326395+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:49.53008+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-csam","deepfake","child-sexual-abuse-material","sentencing","tennessee","sumner-county","canada","others-use","depicted-or-impersonated"]}]}