{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T06:32:26.198Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"evidence","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"minors","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":1,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":2,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":0,"minors":2,"coreRelations":2,"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":"2025-montana-carter-county-man-charged-ai-child-abuse-material-case","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"On August 21, 2025, prosecutors in the Montana Attorney General’s Office charged a Carter County man with three felony counts of sexual abuse of children","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"for possession of explicit images and videos that depict a child under the age of 12","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"the Montana Attorney General’s Office charged","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On 21 August 2025 the Montana Attorney General's Office charged a Carter County man with three felony counts of sexual abuse of children for possessing explicit images and videos that depict a child under the age of 12.","causal_attribution":"Charges are allegations. Both outlets relay the Attorney General's statement."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"In at least one of the counts, Attorney General Austin Knudsen said artificial intelligence was used to digitally alter the image of a Montana child.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"captured images of a child from the parents’ public social media account and used AI to create manipulated content with the photos","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"In at least one of those charges, prosecutors say","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Prosecutors say that in at least one count AI was used to digitally alter the image of a Montana child, using photos taken from the parents' public social media account.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors allegation. No court finding, image or AI tool is cited."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"received multiple cyber tips that CSAM was uploaded to a wireless cloud backup from","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"CSAM was uploaded to a wireless cloud backup","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The investigation began after NCMEC received multiple cyber tips that child sexual abuse material was uploaded to a wireless cloud backup from the accused's devices.","causal_attribution":"Attorney General's account of how the investigation started."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"House Bill 82 was passed and signed into law during the 2025 Legislative Session, and allows for the prosecution of sex predators utilizing artificial intelligence to digitally alter images","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"is being held on a $250,000 bond","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"he's being prosecuted under Montana’s new AI exploitation law","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Reports say Montana House Bill 82 (2025) allows prosecutors to charge people who use AI to digitally alter images, and NBC Montana says the man is being prosecuted under Montana's new AI exploitation law. The accused was held on a $250,000 bond.","causal_attribution":"Attorney General's statement as relayed. Later court outcomes were not found."}],"effects":[{"label":"Images of a child altered with AI into child sexual abuse material (prosecutors' account)","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://newstalkkgvo.com/montana-ai-child-abuse/","kind":"local_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"montana-ag-statement"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/montana-man-charged-after-allegedly-using-ai-to-create-child-sexual-abuse-material","kind":"local_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"montana-ag-statement"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["justice","privacy"],"unknowns":["When the images were made (only the 21 August 2025 charge and arrest date is reported).","Whether the AI-altered image is one of the three counts or additional to them (the sources say \"at least one\").","The AI tool used, and any court finding on the AI use.","Case outcome after the arraignment scheduled for 9 September 2025.","The Department of Justice press release was blocked (HTTP 403). Both inspected outlets relay the Attorney General statement, so they form one independence group.","No harm to the child beyond the charged conduct is reported."],"geography":{"basis":"The sources name Carter County, Montana and a Montana state District Court judge. They do not state a country, and no country is inferred from the state or from the outlets.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Prosecutors' public statement of charges in which an AI tool was used to alter images of a real child. The prosecution of the maker is the only event and the depicted child the only reported harmed person, so the harm evidence is limited to the charged conduct. Undated because conduct dates are unreported. Identities of the child and the accused are withheld.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Attorney General states that the accused used AI to create manipulated content from photos of a child. The AI tool, the images and the court documents were not inspected.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Montana prosecutors charge a Carter County man in a case involving AI-altered images of a Montana child","summary":"On 21 August 2025 the Montana Attorney General's Office charged a Carter County man with three felony counts of sexual abuse of children for possessing child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors state that in at least one count an AI tool was used to alter images of a Montana child that were taken from the child's parents' public social media account. The investigation began with cyber tips about uploads to a cloud backup. The charges are allegations. The child and the accused are not named here. The only reported harmed person is the depicted child and the sources report no other consequence, so the harm evidence is weak: it rests on the prosecutors' description of the charged conduct. The date of the conduct is not reported.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-08-27","aiSystem":"Unspecified generative AI tool (not identified in the sources)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Prosecutors state that images of a Montana child taken from the parents' public social media account were altered with AI into child sexual abuse material (allegation, charges pending). No other consequence to the child is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"The Attorney General states that in at least one count AI was used to alter the image of a Montana child. One depicted child is counted. The sources do not say whether other children are depicted in the other counts.","victimAgeRange":"minor","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://newstalkkgvo.com/montana-ai-child-abuse/","primarySourceLabel":"Newstalk KGVO, 27 August 2025","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T13:29:07.937186+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:10.565079+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]},{"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"]}]}