{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-11-07T02:11:41.346Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"kentucky","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":4,"coverage":{"cases":4,"countries":1,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":1,"regulatory":2,"minors":2,"coreRelations":4,"contextualRelations":1,"mixedRelations":1,"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-sixth-circuit-removes-appointed-defence-lawyer-over-cocounsel-drafted-briefs-delaying-indigent-defendants-appeal","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'qualified for a two-level enhancement under § 3B1.1(c) of the Sentencing Guidelines for his leadership role during drug-trafficking activities.'; 'serving as court-appointed counsel for an indigent defendant through a publicly funded program'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A lawyer appointed under the Criminal Justice Act represented an indigent defendant appealing a two-level leadership enhancement to his drug-trafficking sentence in the Sixth Circuit.","causal_attribution":"The court's own description of the appointment and the appeal."},{"id":"c2","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'The first tell was the file name of the principal brief:'; '“CoCounsel Skill Results.” CoCounsel is the name of Westlaw’s internal artificial-intelligence'; 'But the purported direct quotations do not appear in their cited sources.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The first tell was the file name of the principal brief: \"CoCounsel Skill Results.\" CoCounsel is the name of Westlaw's internal artificial-intelligence platform.'; 'But the purported direct quotations do not appear in their cited sources.'; 'misrepresent the holdings of both United States v. Washington'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The court found that the principal brief's file name was 'CoCounsel Skill Results', that three quotations in the briefs appear in no legal authority, and that the briefs misrepresented the holdings of two precedents.","causal_attribution":"The court's findings, quoted verbatim in the Volokh post; the opinion PDF carries the same text."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'he directed an unnamed “staff” member to'; 'upload district court documents to Westlaw’s CoCounsel program to create a first draft of the'; 'repeated that same process for the reply brief.'; 'He concedes that the three inaccurate quotations'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'he directed an unnamed \"staff\" member to upload district court documents to Westlaw's CoCounsel program to create a first draft of the principal brief.'; 'He concedes that the three inaccurate quotations identified above were the product of artificial intelligence, that they do not appear in any legal authorities'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The lawyer admitted that a staff member uploaded district court documents to Westlaw's CoCounsel to create a first draft of the principal brief, that he repeated the process for the reply, and that the three inaccurate quotations were produced by artificial intelligence and not verified.","causal_attribution":"The lawyer's show-cause response as the court records it; the court's opinion documents the admission."},{"id":"c4","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'shall not be compensated under the Criminal Justice Act for his time spent on'; 'to consider disciplinary proceedings under Sixth'; 'Disciplinary Clerk for the Kentucky Bar Association'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The court ordered that the lawyer receive no Criminal Justice Act compensation for the appeal, forwarded the opinion to the circuit's chief judge to consider disciplinary proceedings, and served it on the Kentucky Bar Association's disciplinary clerk.","causal_attribution":"The court's orders."},{"id":"c5","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'different appellate counsel to file new briefs—further delaying resolution of'; 'reset the briefing schedule upon appointment of replacement counsel.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"By a separate order the same day the court removed the lawyer, directed the appointment of replacement counsel, locked the briefs he had filed and reset the briefing schedule, which the court said further delayed resolution of the defendant's criminal appeal.","causal_attribution":"The court's own account of its separate order and of the delay."},{"id":"c6","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'utilizing Westlaw CoCounsel “in this way for a Court of Appeals brief.”'; 'has never been disciplined over his 40-year career'; 'candor in acknowledging his improper use of artificial intelligence.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'first time utilizing Westlaw CoCounsel \"in this way for a Court of Appeals brief.\"'; 'has never been disciplined over his 40-year career'; 'his candor in acknowledging his improper use of artificial intelligence.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The lawyer said this was his first use of CoCounsel in this way for an appeals brief and that he had not been disciplined in a 40-year career; the court acknowledged his timely response and candour while finding his conduct inexcusable.","causal_attribution":"The lawyer's explanations and the court's assessment, as the opinion records them; recorded as mitigation."},{"id":"c7","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'***LOCKED PURSUANT TO ORDER ENTERED 04/03/2026***APPELLANT BRIEF filed by'; 'Certificate of Service: 10/21/2025. Argument Request: not requested. [25-5623]'; '***LOCKED PURSUANT TO ORDER ENTERED 04/03/2026***REPLY BRIEF filed by Attorney'; 'Certificate of Service: 12/26/2025. [25-5623]'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The docket records that the principal brief for the defendant was filed on 21 October 2025 and the reply brief on 26 December 2025, and that both entries were locked under the order of 3 April 2026.","causal_attribution":"Clerk docket entries; they date the filings and do not describe their contents."}],"effects":[{"label":"indigent defendant's criminal appeal delayed while replacement counsel files new briefs","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"},{"label":"court-appointed lawyer denied compensation for the appeal and referred for disciplinary consideration","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/26a0105p-06.pdf","kind":"court_order","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Sixth Circuit published per curiam opinion, No. 25-5623, decided and filed 3 April 2026; PDF read in full (HTTP 200).","independence_group":"sixth-circuit-opinion-3-apr-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://reason.com/volokh/2026/04/09/the-first-tell-was-the-file-name-of-the-principal-brief-cocounsel-skill-results/","kind":"commentary_with_filing_excerpt","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The Volokh Conspiracy (Reason), 9 April 2026, quoting the same opinion at length; read in full (HTTP 200). Same origin as the opinion.","independence_group":"sixth-circuit-opinion-3-apr-2026"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v4/search/?q=docket_id%3A70724463%20BRIEF&type=rd","kind":"court_docket_index","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"CourtListener search API listing of docket entries for Sixth Circuit No. 25-5623 (RECAP), read on 2026-10-19 (HTTP 200); entry descriptions as entered by the clerk. Party and counsel names in the entries are not reproduced.","independence_group":"sixth-circuit-docket-25-5623"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use","others_use"],"contexts":["justice","work"],"unknowns":["How long the appeal is delayed, and the outcome of any disciplinary proceedings."],"geography":{"basis":"The appeal is from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the lawyer practises in Kentucky (opinion).","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published with communicated_with and informed_decision_about: the court documents that a court-appointed defence lawyer filed briefs drafted with Westlaw's CoCounsel that carried quotations found in no authority, and, acting on those briefs, removed him, ordered new counsel and briefing that delayed the indigent defendant's criminal appeal, and denied him compensation. The harm reaches a criminal defendant who did not use the tool.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-19"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The court found that the principal brief's file name was 'CoCounsel Skill Results' and that three quotations in the briefs appear in no legal authority. The lawyer admitted that a staff member used Westlaw's CoCounsel to produce the first draft, that he repeated the process for the reply, and that the false quotations were produced by artificial intelligence. Reading those briefs, the court removed him, ordered new counsel and new briefs for the defendant, and denied him compensation.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","informed_decision_about"]},"name":"Sixth Circuit removes court-appointed defence lawyer over CoCounsel-drafted briefs with false quotations, delaying an indigent defendant's appeal","summary":"In a published opinion of 3 April 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit addressed the briefs a lawyer appointed under the Criminal Justice Act had filed for an indigent defendant appealing a sentencing enhancement in a drug-trafficking case. The court noticed that the principal brief's file name was 'CoCounsel Skill Results' and found three quotations that appear in no legal authority and misstatements of two precedents. The lawyer admitted that a staff member had used Westlaw's CoCounsel to create the first draft, that he repeated the process for the reply, and that the false quotations came from artificial intelligence he did not verify. The court denied him compensation for the appeal, referred the opinion for possible disciplinary proceedings and to the Kentucky Bar Association, and by separate order removed him, locked his briefs and ordered replacement counsel to file new ones, which it said further delayed resolution of the defendant's appeal. The court acknowledged his candour and his 40 years without discipline.","incidentDate":"2025-10-21","incidentEndDate":"2026-04-03","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-04-03","aiSystem":"Westlaw CoCounsel (Thomson Reuters), used by a lawyer's staff member to produce the first drafts of a principal and a reply brief","aiProduct":"CoCounsel","aiCompany":"Thomson Reuters","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["legal_harm","professional_harm","financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The court documents that briefs drafted with Westlaw's CoCounsel and filed unverified by a court-appointed lawyer led it to remove him and order new counsel and briefs, further delaying an indigent defendant's criminal appeal; the lawyer was denied compensation for the appeal and referred for disciplinary consideration.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"established","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Two: the defendant, whose appeal the court says was further delayed, and the lawyer, who was denied compensation and referred. The lawyer's staff member ran the tool and is not counted; no other harmed person is described.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"regulatory_action","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/26a0105p-06.pdf","primarySourceLabel":"U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, No. 25-5623, opinion decided and filed 3 April 2026","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-19T03:16:56.688661+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-19T03:16:56.688661+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["legal","ai-fabricated-quotations","court-appointed-counsel","criminal-appeal","sanction","cocounsel"]},{"id":"2026-henderson-kentucky-south-middle-school-ai-nude-images-juvenile-charged","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Henderson Police say last Thursday, they received a report of AI-generated nude images of children being created and shown to other students.'; 'During the investigation, officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A student at South Middle School is facing charges after allegations of misusing AI to create sexual images.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Henderson Police said that on 'last Thursday' (17 September 2026) they received a report of AI-generated nude images of children being created and shown to other students at South Middle School, and that during the investigation officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device.","causal_attribution":"Police statement relayed by one broadcaster; 'last Thursday' relative to the Monday 21 September report is 17 September 2026."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A juvenile was accused of sharing the images. They were lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center for:'; 'Distribution of sexually explicit images without consent.'; 'Possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor O/12 <18 x2'; 'Distribution of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor O/ 12 <18'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A juvenile accused of sharing the images was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center on three charge types: distribution of sexually explicit images without consent; two counts of possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18.","causal_attribution":"Police statement relayed by one broadcaster."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'We are aware of a situation at South Middle School involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence (AI) and inappropriate images.'; 'South Middle School has remained in communication with families involved in this incident.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The school said it was aware of a situation involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence and inappropriate images, that Henderson Police were investigating, and that it had remained in communication with the families involved.","causal_attribution":"School statement given to the broadcaster on 21 September 2026."}],"effects":[{"label":"two children depicted in AI-generated nude images that were created and shown to other students","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.14news.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (14 News / WFIE Evansville, published 21 September 2026 12:30 CDT). Henderson Police Department statement and the school's statement.","independence_group":"wfie-hpd"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.wkyt.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (WKYT Lexington, 21 September 2026). Same WFIE report; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"wfie-hpd"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/middle-school-student-accused-of-sharing-ai-generated-csam-with-classmates/","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW), 21 September 2026: answered HTTP 403 on 2026-09-22; headline only. Not relied on.","independence_group":"weht"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["The tool used and how the images were made.","The exact ages of the depicted children (the charge descriptors give over 12 and under 18) and the age of the accused, described only as a student at the school.","When the images were created and how widely they were shown.","The outcome of the juvenile proceedings.","Whether the depicted children or their families have described the effect on them."],"geography":{"basis":"South Middle School, Henderson, Kentucky (Henderson Police Department and the school via 14 News). The juvenile was lodged at a detention centre; no court proceeding is reported, so no court country is recorded.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting two identified minors, documented by a police statement and a school statement carried by one broadcaster (single reporting chain, recorded as such). Not a death case. Nobody involved is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Henderson Police said the images were AI-generated nude images of children and that officers identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims; the school refers to a student allegedly misusing AI. No tool is named and no forensic detail is public. The artifacts depicted the children; no AI system interacted with them.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Henderson, Kentucky: police identified AI-generated nude images of two middle-school children on a device after a report that such images were being created and shown to other students at South Middle School; a juvenile was lodged at the juvenile detention centre on charges of distributing sexually explicit images without consent and possessing and distributing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor","summary":"Henderson Police said that on 'last Thursday' (17 September 2026) they received a report that AI-generated nude images of children were being created and shown to other students at South Middle School in Henderson, Kentucky. During the investigation officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device. A juvenile accused of sharing the images was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center on three charge types: distribution of sexually explicit images without consent; two counts of possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor over 12 and under 18. The school said on Monday 21 September that it was aware of a situation involving a student allegedly misusing artificial intelligence and inappropriate images, that the police investigation was active and that it had remained in communication with the families involved. 14 News (WFIE) reported the case on 21 September; WKYT carried the same report. The tool is not named. The depicted children's exact ages are not reported, though the charge descriptors put them between 12 and 18. The accused is described as a South Middle School student; the accused's age and any relationship to the depicted children beyond attending the same school are not reported.","incidentDate":"2026-09-17","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-21","aiSystem":"AI image-generation tool, not named in the report","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Two children were depicted in AI-generated nude images that, according to the report, were created and shown to other students; police attribute the sharing of the images to a juvenile who has been charged, and the school describes a student allegedly misusing AI. No account of the children's own experience has been published.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"Police said officers found and identified AI-generated photographs of two minor victims on a digital device, and the possession charge carries two counts (14 News, 21 September 2026). Documented minimum 2: the count is of victims identified on one device during what the school calls an active law-enforcement matter. The accused juvenile is not counted.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-KY","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.14news.com/2026/09/21/inappropriate-ai-image-allegations-prompt-henderson-student-investigation/","primarySourceLabel":"14 News (WFIE), 21 September 2026: HPD: Juvenile charged after AI-generated explicit photos of middle schoolers shared with classmates","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-22T03:45:52.580941+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:39.538001+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-imagery","ncii","minor","school","kentucky","henderson","juvenile","depicted"]},{"id":"2025-heacock-ai-sextortion-death","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Local teenager Eli Heacock died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound last month'; 'he took his life on Feb 28'; 'at 11:30 p.m. on that Thursday night, Eli's twin sister found him'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'He died by suicide shortly after receiving the message, CBS affiliate KFDA reported'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'After their 16-year-old son died by suicide, a Kentucky family is pushing for stronger sextortion laws'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Elijah Heacock died Feb. 28 at a local hospital, WBKO-TV reported'; 'the Barren County Sheriff's Office responded to the hospital on Feb. 27'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Elijah Heacock, 16, a Caverna High School student in Barren County, Kentucky, died by suicide on 28 February 2025 after being found injured at home on the night of 27 February.","causal_attribution":"The death is reported independently by WKMS (own reporting) and CBS (citing KFDA), with Spectrum and the WBKO/ABC relay consistent; the 27/28 February dates come from WKMS and NewsNation."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'During a search of Eli's phone, AI-generated images used to extort the young man were discovered. The offender created the images, some sexually explicit, and sent them to Eli. They then threatened to release the pictures unless Eli sent them $3,000.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'when Elijah received a threatening text with an A.I.-generated nude photo of himself demanding he pay $3,000 to keep it from being sent to friends and family, everything changed'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'a perpetrator threatened him, saying he needed to send $3,000 or they would release sexually explicit images of him'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'fake, AI-generated nude images'; 'Though the photos were not real, it's unclear whether Elijah Heacock knew they were AI-generated.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Investigators found on his phone AI-generated images of him, some sexually explicit, sent by an anonymous extortionist who threatened to release them unless he paid $3,000.","causal_attribution":"WKMS attributes the AI-generated finding to investigators' search of the phone; CBS's account rests on the parents' interview. Whether he knew the images were fake is unknown (NewsNation)."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'His parents told Spectrum News 1 that Heacock sent $50, but did not have enough to cover the rest.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Shannon Heacock said she found texts indicating that her son had sent some money to the scammer, to which the scammer replied, \"This is not enough,\" she told ABC News.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"Best friend: 'The last message I got from him was, \"I love you so much\"' after Eli asked to borrow money that night.","relation":"context","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"He sent a partial payment of $50 and the extortionist replied that it was 'not enough'.","causal_attribution":"Both accounts are the parents' descriptions of the messages on his phone, given to two separate outlets; the $50 figure appears only in Spectrum."},{"id":"c4","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'The FBI continues to investigate. The family hopes the exploiter will be caught and charged with murder.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'a sheriff's detective reviewed Elijah Heacock's phone and escalated the case to the FBI'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The Barren County Sheriff's Office escalated the case to the FBI, which was still investigating; no arrest has been reported.","causal_attribution":"Investigation status as of the inspected reports (March and June 2025); nothing later was inspected."},{"id":"c5","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill into law this month, making sextortion a felony. It also mandates education about sextortion in schools and in law enforcement agencies.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'state lawmakers passed a bill that establishes sexual extortion as a felony, and mandates training about the topic at schools and law enforcement agencies. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky, signed it into law.'; Rep. Guthrie on the Take It Down Act","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'The recently-passed \"Take It Down\" Act... makes it a federal crime to post real and fake sexually explicit images'; 'They said they hope the \"Take It Down\" Act will make a difference.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Kentucky's governor signed a law in March 2025 making sexual extortion a felony and mandating education in schools and law-enforcement agencies; the parents publicly supported the federal Take It Down Act, signed in May 2025.","causal_attribution":"Legislative context reported by three outlets; the Kentucky law is described, not inspected."}],"effects":[{"label":"a 16-year-old was extorted with AI-generated sexual images of himself and died by suicide","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.wkms.org/health/2025-03-24/suicide-of-ky-teen-investigated-as-financial-sextortion","kind":"public_radio_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2025-03-24; WKU Public Radio, Lisa Autry); own interviews with his mother, father and best friend; quotes the KSP Electronic Crime Branch commander.","independence_group":"wkms"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sextortion-generative-ai-scam-elijah-heacock-take-it-down-act/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-16 from the Internet Archive capture of 28 December 2025 (datePublished 2025-05-31; CBS Saturday Morning interview with the parents); the live URL answers HTTP 406 to this box. The article attributes the death report to CBS affiliate KFDA and the advocacy to WLKY.","independence_group":"cbs"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2025/04/10/sextortion-kentucky-elijah-heacock","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2025-04-10; Glasgow, Ky. dateline; the parents' own statements to Spectrum News 1).","independence_group":"spectrum"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/tech/ai/teen-suicide-ai-images/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-16 from the Internet Archive capture of 26 November 2025 (datePublished 2025-06-11); the live URL answers HTTP 403. NewsNation relays WBKO-TV and ABC News interviews with the parents, so it is grouped with those originals rather than counted as independent.","independence_group":"wbko-abc"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","privacy"],"unknowns":["The tool used to generate the images and the identity or location of the extortionist are not reported; no arrest has been reported in the inspected sources.","Whether he knew the images were AI-generated is unclear (NewsNation).","When the extortion messages began is not reported; the record uses the night of 27 February (when his friend received his last messages and the sheriff reviewed the phone) and the 28 February death date.","The earliest local report (WBKO-TV, cited by NewsNation) was not inspected: its URL answers HTTP 404; the reported_date uses the earliest inspected report (WKMS, 24 March 2025).","The CBS article's cited affiliate reports (KFDA, WLKY) were not inspected.","Investigation status after June 2025 was not researched in this review."],"geography":{"basis":"Event and residence: Barren County (Glasgow area), Kentucky, per WKMS ('In southern Kentucky, the Barren County community') and Spectrum's Glasgow, Ky. dateline. No court proceeding is reported; the extortionist has not been identified.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a reported death: AI-generated sexual images of a minor were used to extort him and he died by suicide. The death and the AI connection are each carried by two independent inspected chains (WKMS own reporting and CBS), meeting the additional death rule; causation rests on investigators and the family, recorded as supported, not established. He is named because his parents campaign publicly in his name; the method of death is not described here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-16"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"WKMS reports that investigators searching his phone found AI-generated images used to extort him, and quotes the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch commander on AI-generated exploitation; CBS separately describes the extortion message as carrying an AI-generated nude photo of him. The generation tool is not identified in any inspected source.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Kentucky: Elijah Heacock, 16, died by suicide after a sextortion demand backed by AI-generated nude images of him","summary":"Elijah Heacock, a 16-year-old Caverna High School student in Barren County, Kentucky, died by suicide on 28 February 2025. Investigators searching his phone found AI-generated images of him, some sexually explicit, that an anonymous extortionist had sent with a demand for $3,000 and a threat to share them with his family and friends; his parents say he sent a small partial payment and was told it was 'not enough'. The Barren County Sheriff's Office escalated the case to the FBI, which was still investigating in the inspected reports; no arrest has been reported. His parents have campaigned publicly, Kentucky made sextortion a felony in March 2025, and the family supported the federal Take It Down Act.","incidentDate":"2025-02-27","incidentEndDate":"2025-02-28","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-03-24","aiSystem":"AI image-generation or manipulation tools (unspecified; investigators described the extortion images as AI-generated)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"critical","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["death","exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A 16-year-old was extorted with AI-generated sexual images of himself and a $3,000 demand, and died by suicide the same night his best friend received his last message; investigators and his parents connect the death to the sextortion.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Elijah Heacock, was depicted in the AI-generated images and died; his family members are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.wkms.org/health/2025-03-24/suicide-of-ky-teen-investigated-as-financial-sextortion","primarySourceLabel":"WKMS / WKU Public Radio, 24 March 2025: investigators found AI-generated images used to extort him; KSP Electronic Crime Branch commander quoted","firstPublishedAt":"2026-03-09T05:43:08.739008+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:04.61944+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["sextortion","deepfake","minor","kentucky","suicide","depicted-or-impersonated","take-it-down-act"]},{"id":"2026-kentucky-ag-characterai","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Filed Thursday in Franklin Circuit Court, Coleman’s lawsuit asks the court to bar Character Technologies'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'The lawsuit claims that Character.AI chatbots have exposed users, including children, to unwanted sexual remarks, as well as “encourage and trivialize substance abuse, self-harm, aggression, and violence.”'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Kentucky is suing artificial intelligence chatbot company Character.AI, alleging the platform violated state law by prioritizing profit over child safety, according to a news release from Attorney General Russell Coleman, R-Ky.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"The Kentucky Attorney General sued Character Technologies and its co-founders in Franklin Circuit Court in January 2026, alleging that Character.AI exposed users, including children, to harmful content.","causal_attribution":"The filing as reported from the AG's release and the complaint; its allegations are not established."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'a user was documented asking the chatbot for “help with self-harm,”'; 'suggested the behavior would improve his mental state.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'one bot allegedly insulted a user who was concerned about their appearance and advised them to starve themselves to lose weight'; 'Another chatbot, according to a transcript cited by the state, encouraged a person who reported thoughts of self-harm.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'a chatbot allegedly mocked a user's appearance and suggested going without food for one or two weeks to lose weight'; 'Another interaction involved a user who disclosed thoughts of self-harm.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"}],"assertion":"The unredacted complaint alleges that a chatbot encouraged self-harm when a user asked for help with self-harm, suggesting it would improve the user's mental state, and that a bot mocked a user's appearance and suggested starving to lose weight.","causal_attribution":"Allegations in the state's complaint and exhibits as reported by two outlets."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'In March, the suit claims that a customer sent an email to the Character AI Help Center and reported that “an AI character became aggressive and stated, ‘Bro, I don’t care, and you are just a kid who have mental illness; good luck getting help,’'; 'Character.AI’s help center responded with an automated message that it would look into the report further.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Its author reported that a chatbot had become aggressive and sent messages related to mental health and suicide.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'The filing also refers to a complaint submitted to Character.AI's support team in March 2025. The user alleged that a chatbot had turned abusive, making derogatory comments about mental illness'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"}],"assertion":"The complaint alleges that in March 2025 a customer emailed the Character.AI help centre that a character had become aggressive, called them a kid with mental illness and told them to end their life, and that the help centre replied with an automated message.","causal_attribution":"The complaint's account of a customer's email, as reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'At the same time, the circumstances in which the chats cited by the state were created remain unclear.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'The legal document does not provide the full circumstances behind every exchange. Nor does it specify the ages of everyone involved, though Kentucky alleges that some users were minors.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"}],"assertion":"The complaint does not give the ages of all users in the cited conversations, and the circumstances in which the cited chats were created are unclear.","causal_attribution":"The outlets' description of the complaint's limits."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'In June, counsel for Shazeer and De Freitas filed a motion to dismiss the suit.'; 'An order granting the extension was filed on Wednesday, Oct. 7'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Counsel for the co-founders moved to dismiss in June 2026, and on 7 October 2026 the court granted an extension for further filings supporting that motion.","causal_attribution":"Procedural history as reported by one outlet."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Character.AI filed for bankruptcy late on Oct. 12 and is seeking to use its Chapter 11 case to resolve the states’ investigations and lawsuits'; 'told US Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon in Wilmington that the states are negotiating a settlement with Character.AI'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"}],"assertion":"Character Technologies filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy late on 12 October 2026 and is seeking to use the case to resolve the states' investigations and lawsuits; at the first hearing an attorney for the states told the US bankruptcy judge in Delaware that they were negotiating a settlement with the company.","causal_attribution":"Reuters' report of the bankruptcy filing and the first hearing; the bankruptcy docket itself was not inspected."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the state is joining a national coalition taking action in the bankruptcy case of Character Technologies'; 'The filing warns the court about safety and privacy concerns and demands protections for children and consumers before any sale of the company’s data or assets.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"WKYT reported on 14 October 2026 that Kentucky's attorney general said the state was joining a national coalition taking action in Character Technologies' bankruptcy case, whose filing warns the court about safety and privacy concerns and demands protections for children and consumers before any sale of the company's data or assets.","causal_attribution":"The attorney general's announcement as reported by WKYT; the coalition's filing itself was not inspected."}],"effects":[{"label":"told by a chatbot to end their life, per a help-centre complaint the state quotes","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"encouraged by a chatbot to self-harm and to starve, per exchanges the state quotes","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/new-evidence-shows-disturbing-ai-behavior-in-kentucky-lawsuit-against-california-ceos/amp/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-13 (HTTP 200, AMP page). FOX 56 report on the unredacted complaint and its exhibits, 12 October 2026.","independence_group":"kentucky-unredacted-complaint-oct-2026"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://ua.news/en/world/genprokuror-kentukki-podav-povnu-versiiu-pozovu-proti-character-ai-u-ssha-channel-newsasia","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-13 (HTTP 200). UA.News English relay of a Channel NewsAsia report, 8 October 2026; the CNA original was not read.","independence_group":"kentucky-unredacted-complaint-oct-2026"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.route-fifty.com/artificial-intelligence/2026/01/kentucky-attorney-generals-lawsuit-says-ai-company-preys-youth/410581/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-13 (HTTP 200). Route Fifty report on the January 2026 filing.","independence_group":"ag-filing-jan-2026"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.wkyt.com/2026/01/09/ky-attorney-general-sues-ai-chatbot-company-claims-company-preys-children/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-13 (HTTP 200). WKYT report based on the AG's press release, 9 January 2026.","independence_group":"ag-filing-jan-2026"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/01/08/kentucky-sues-ai-chatbot","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-13 (HTTP 200). Spectrum News 1 report based on the AG's news release, 8 January 2026.","independence_group":"ag-filing-jan-2026"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.wkyt.com/2026/10/15/kentucky-joins-coalition-characterai-bankruptcy-case/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-29 (HTTP 200). WKYT report of the attorney general's announcement, published 14 October 2026.","independence_group":"ag-bankruptcy-coalition-oct-2026"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/10/15/889061.htm","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-29 (HTTP 200). Reuters report by Dietrich Knauth republished by Insurance Journal, 15 October 2026, on the first bankruptcy hearing.","independence_group":"reuters-characterai-bankruptcy-hearing"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/character-ai-chatbots-promoted-self-harm-harmful-dieting-lawsuit-alleges-112321.htm","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-10-30 (HTTP 200). Storyboard18 report of 11 October 2026 relaying Reuters on the unredacted complaint; the Reuters original was not read.","independence_group":"kentucky-unredacted-complaint-oct-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["health","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the quoted exchanges came from real users, investigators' test accounts or app reviews, and how many distinct users they involve","The ages and locations of the users quoted","Whether any user acted on the messages or was harmed beyond receiving them","Character Technologies' response to the specific exchanges","The court's ruling on the motion to dismiss","Whether the bankruptcy pauses or resolves Kentucky's own suit, and the terms of any settlement the states are negotiating with the company."],"geography":{"basis":"Court: Franklin Circuit Court, Kentucky. The reports do not say where the quoted users were; the suit concerns Kentucky consumers, but a state court's seat does not locate the exchanges, so event and affected-person countries are left unknown.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as an alleged bounded series: Kentucky's unredacted complaint against Character Technologies, as reported by FOX 56 and by relays of Channel NewsAsia (UA.News) and Reuters (Storyboard18), quotes Character.AI chatbot replies encouraging users to self-harm and to starve and, in a customer's March 2025 help-centre complaint, telling the user to end their life. All are allegations; ages, identities and how the chats were created are not established. The deaths the complaint cites are separate records. Full review on 2026-10-29 adds the company's October 2026 chapter 11 filing and Kentucky's joining the states' coalition in that case; no ruling on the suit is reported.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The unredacted complaint, as reported by FOX 56 (which cites its exhibits) and Storyboard18 (relaying Reuters), quotes Character.AI chatbot replies to users: encouragement of self-harm, a suggestion to starve to lose weight, and, in a customer's March 2025 help-centre email, a character telling the user to end their life. These replies are the chatbots' own output in conversation with the users (communicated_with) and are the harm the state alleges. They are allegations; how the cited chats were created is not stated.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Kentucky: attorney general's unredacted complaint against Character.AI alleges chatbots urged users to self-harm and to starve, and told one to end their life","summary":"Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman sued Character Technologies, the maker of Character.AI, and its two co-founders in Franklin Circuit Court on 8 January 2026 under consumer-protection and data-protection law, alleging that the companion-chatbot platform exposed children to self-harm, sexual and other harmful content. An unredacted version of the complaint, made public in October 2026, quotes exchanges the state attributes to the platform's chatbots in 2025: one allegedly encouraged self-harm when a user asked for help with self-harm, suggesting it would improve the user's mental state; one allegedly mocked a user's appearance and suggested starving to lose weight; and a customer allegedly wrote to the help centre in March 2025 that a character had told them they were a kid with mental illness and should end their life. All of these are allegations. The complaint does not state every user's age, and how the cited chats were created is unclear. Character.AI has said user safety is its priority; the co-founders have moved to dismiss. Character Technologies filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware late on 12 October 2026, seeking to use the case to resolve the states' investigations and lawsuits, Reuters reported; WKYT reported on 14 October that Coleman said Kentucky was joining a national coalition in that case demanding protections for children and consumers before any sale of the company's data or assets.","incidentDate":"2025-03-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-08","aiSystem":"Character.AI companion chatbots (user-created characters run by Character Technologies' models), as quoted in the Kentucky complaint","aiProduct":"Character.AI","aiCompany":"Character Technologies, Inc.","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to Kentucky's unredacted complaint, as reported, Character.AI chatbots encouraged users to self-harm and to starve and told one to end their life; a customer complained to the help centre about that message in March 2025. These are allegations.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"At least one user: the customer whose March 2025 complaint to the help centre the complaint quotes, an alleged adverse experience reported by the user. Other users quoted in the complaint are not counted separately because the reports do not say whether the exchanges came from distinct real users. Platform account totals (21.6 million US accounts, 2.1 million under 18) are not counts of harmed people.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"US-KY","platformType":"companion","outcomeType":"lawsuit_ongoing","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/new-evidence-shows-disturbing-ai-behavior-in-kentucky-lawsuit-against-california-ceos/amp/","primarySourceLabel":"FOX 56, 12 October 2026: new evidence in the Kentucky lawsuit against Character Technologies","firstPublishedAt":"2026-01-11T11:27:21.675058+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-30T02:58:08.049996+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["character-ai","state-attorney-general","kentucky","self-harm","companion-chatbot","lawsuit"]}]}