{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-10-05T09:00:14.040Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"search","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"","evidence":"","year":"2026","response":"minors","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":3,"coverage":{"cases":3,"countries":2,"languages":3,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":0,"minors":3,"coreRelations":3,"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-libertyville-teacher-ai-csam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'was taken into custody Friday on eight counts of Child Pornography following a lengthy investigation that started in June, officials said.'; 'students reported to school staff that they believed their teacher was video recording students.'; 'A forensic examination by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Cyber Lab revealed numerous images of students that had been altered using AI to create explicit images, officials said.'; 'two of the child pornography charges against Sheffer are class X felonies, while six counts are Class 1 felonies.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'authorities alleging he created \"illicit\" images by using an AI program to digitally place the heads of students on the bodies of other people, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.'; 'was arrested on eight felony counts.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'Officials said he took photos and videos of current and former students and then used generative AI to alter them into pornographic images.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'A Libertyville middle school teacher has been arrested and charged with possession and/or creation of child pornography, police and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office said Friday.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'now faces eight felony counts of child pornography following his arrest Friday, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.'; 'detectives executed additional search warrants at Sheffer's residence and recovered multiple electronic devices.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On 3 July 2026 Libertyville police and the Lake County State's Attorney announced that a 44-year-old Highland Middle School social studies teacher had been taken into custody on eight counts of child pornography (two Class X and six Class 1 felonies); the investigation began after students reported they believed he was video-recording students, a forensic examination of his phone found numerous images of students altered using AI to create explicit images, and further explicit child images were seized from devices at his home with electronic-storage-detection dogs; the State's Attorney's Office described the method as using an AI program to place students' heads on other people's bodies.","causal_attribution":"Police and State's Attorney statements reported by six outlets from the same release chain (one independence group), so recorded as reported."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'\"On the second to last day of the school year... several students reported concerns to school leaders regarding inappropriate photos/videos allegedly taken by Mr. Sheffer that afternoon in his classroom.\"'; '\"Mr. Sheffer was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day,\" the statement continued.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'noting the district became aware of the accusations on the second to last day of school, June 3.'; '\"Mr. Sheffer was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day,\" she wrote.'; 'Sheffer, who taught at Highland Middle School in Libertyville for 18 years'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Jenkins said in a letter to District 70 parents obtained Friday by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner that Sheffer was a social studies teacher with the district for 18 years.'; 'the investigation followed the district's immediate outreach to the police on the second-to-last day of school on June 3.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The charges include allegations that some of the photos showed girls who Sheffer knew, or should have known, were under the age of 13 years old, according to court documents provided to Patch.'; 'During a detention hearing on Monday, a Lake County judge ordered Sheffer remain detained as court proceedings move forward, according to online court records.'; 'Sheffer is next expected in court on July 30 for a preliminary hearing.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The district says several students reported concerns to school leaders on 3 June 2026, the second-to-last day of school, about inappropriate photos or videos allegedly taken by the teacher that afternoon in his classroom; he was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day, the police were contacted, and the district also contacted DCFS; he had worked for District 70 for 18 years; court documents allege some images showed girls he knew or should have known were under 13; a Lake County judge ordered him detained on 6 July 2026 with a preliminary hearing set for 30 July.","causal_attribution":"The district statement and letter (CBS Chicago, Daily Herald, Scanner) and court documents and records (Patch); the outcome of the 30 July hearing was not found."}],"effects":[{"label":"middle-school students' images were allegedly altered with AI into explicit material by their teacher; eight child-pornography counts filed and the accused detained","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-with-videotaping-students-using-ai-to-create-explicit-images/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Lake & McHenry County Scanner, 3 July 2026). Quotes the police/State's Attorney release and the district superintendent's letter to parents obtained by the outlet.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://patch.com/illinois/grayslake/teacher-accused-secretly-recording-students-creating-ai-generated-explicit-images","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Patch Grayslake, 6 July 2026). Adds court documents (girls under 13 allegation), the detention hearing and the 30 July preliminary hearing from online court records.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://abc7chicago.com/post/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-matthew-sheffer-accused-using-ai-create-explicit-images-students-child-porn-charges/19442819/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (ABC7 Chicago, published 3 July 2026, body dated Monday 6 July 2026 after a correction of the teacher's first name). Release quotes; administrative leave; support services for affected families.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.dailyherald.com/20260703/crime/authorities-libertyville-middle-school-teacher-created-ai-child-sex-abuse-materials/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (Daily Herald, 3 July 2026), decoded from the gzip-encoded body after the second-researcher check. Release quotes and the superintendent's letter: removed from the classroom and placed on leave on 3 June, resources for students, policy review on staff use of personal technology.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-ai-students-child-pornography/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (CBS News Chicago, 3 July 2026), decoded after the second-researcher check. Officials' description (photos and videos of current and former students altered with generative AI) and the district statement dating the alleged recordings to the afternoon of the second-to-last day of school.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-teacher-child-porn-charges/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2026), decoded after the second-researcher check. State's Attorney's description of the AI method (students' heads on other people's bodies), prosecutors' intention to seek detention, the district letter, the DCFS contact and the policy review on video recording.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["How many students appear in the altered images and whether the material was shared beyond the accused's devices.","The outcome of the 30 July 2026 preliminary hearing and the case's current status; any plea or trial date.","The software used; authorities describe an AI program placing students' heads on other bodies but do not identify it.","When the photos and videos were taken beyond the afternoon of 3 June 2026 described in the district statement; the release refers to videos taken in class without dates.","The accused's plea; officials initially gave a different first name, corrected in later copy."],"geography":{"basis":"The school is Highland Middle School in Libertyville, Illinois (Scanner, Patch); the students are its current and former pupils; the charges are in Lake County Circuit Court, Illinois (Patch).","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-minor case with criminal charges announced by police and the State's Attorney and reported by six outlets from one release chain, one adding court records and two the State's Attorney's and district's descriptions; allegations are charges awaiting trial and are recorded as reported. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the teacher and the students are not named in the public record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-26"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Libertyville Police and Lake County State's Attorney release says the forensic examination found images of students 'altered using AI to create explicit images' (Scanner wording; ABC7 and Patch paraphrase); the State's Attorney's Office told the Chicago Tribune an AI program was used to place students' heads on other people's bodies, and CBS Chicago reports officials describing generative AI alteration of photos and videos. These are charging statements, not court findings; the software is not identified.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Libertyville, Illinois: a Highland Middle School social studies teacher was charged on 3 July 2026 with eight counts of child pornography after students reported he was recording them in class and a forensic examination found images of students altered with AI into explicit images; ordered detained on 6 July","summary":"A 44-year-old social studies teacher who had worked for Libertyville School District 70 for 18 years was taken into custody on 3 July 2026 on eight counts of child pornography (two Class X and six Class 1 felonies), Libertyville police and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office announced. The investigation began on 3 June 2026, the second-to-last day of the school year, after several students told school leaders that afternoon that the teacher had taken inappropriate photos or videos of them in his classroom; the district says it immediately removed him from the classroom, placed him on administrative leave and contacted the police. A forensic examination of his phone by the State's Attorney's Cyber Lab found numerous images of students that had been altered using artificial intelligence to create explicit images, and search warrants at his home, assisted by electronic-storage-detection dogs, recovered further devices and explicit child images; the State's Attorney's Office told the Chicago Tribune that an AI program was used to place students' heads on other people's bodies, and CBS Chicago reported that officials said he took photos and videos of current and former students. Court documents reported by Patch say some images depicted girls he knew or should have known were under 13. At a detention hearing on 6 July a Lake County judge ordered him held pending proceedings, with a preliminary hearing set for 30 July 2026; no later development was found. The district superintendent told parents that supporting students' well-being was the immediate focus and that resources were being made available; authorities said they would keep affected families informed and connect them with support services. Officials initially gave a different first name for the teacher, corrected in later copy; he is not named here.","incidentDate":"2026-06-03","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-07-03","aiSystem":"Generative AI image-alteration software (unidentified) that police say was used to alter recordings of students into explicit images","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Photos and videos of middle-school students were allegedly altered with AI into explicit images by their teacher (police and State's Attorney statements via the Lake & McHenry County Scanner, ABC7, Patch, the Daily Herald, CBS Chicago and the Chicago Tribune); the district says supporting students' well-being is its immediate focus and authorities say they are connecting affected families with support services. The allegations are charges awaiting trial.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"'Numerous images of students' (release) and 'current and former students' (CBS Chicago reporting officials) are given without a number; images are not counted as people. Unquantified.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-IL","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-with-videotaping-students-using-ai-to-create-explicit-images/","primarySourceLabel":"Lake & McHenry County Scanner, 3 July 2026: Libertyville middle school teacher charged with videotaping students, using AI to create explicit images","firstPublishedAt":"2026-07-06T02:45:01.237307+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:44.243006+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["csam","deepfake","minor","school","teacher","criminal-charges","illinois","libertyville","depicted-or-impersonated","restored"]},{"id":"2026-catania-school-deepnude-csam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Un bidello 58enne residente in provincia di Catania, dove lavorava come collaboratore scolastico all’interno di un istituto d’istruzione secondaria, è stato arrestato perché gravemente indiziato di detenzione di ingente materiale pedopornografico.'; 'che hanno determinato l’arresto in flagranza di reato, convalidato dal gip di Catania. L’uomo è ora ai domiciliari.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'che hanno determinato l’arresto, convalidato dal Giudice per le indagini preliminari. L’uomo è ora ai domiciliari.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'After a validation hearing before the preliminary investigations judge, the 58-year-old was placed under house arrest.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"A 58-year-old resident of the province of Catania, employed as a collaboratore scolastico at a secondary school, was arrested in flagrante delicto on suspicion of possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material; the preliminary investigations judge of Catania validated the arrest and he was placed under house arrest.","causal_attribution":"Police and prosecutor release of 14 March 2026 as carried by every inspected outlet; single chain."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'L’indagato, inoltre, era in possesso di diverse foto digitali scattate all’interno dei locali scolastici con alunne minorenni, alcune delle quali realizzate a loro insaputa. Le immagini erano state successivamente modificate con programmi di intelligenza artificiale, rinvenuti all’interno dei dispositivi sequestrati, in modo da denudare le minori (deep-nude) posizionandole accanto all’immagine dell’indagato.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'In several files, the minors were artificially stripped naked and placed next to the suspect's image, creating photographic montages that simulated shots taken together.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'He unknowingly photographed the students of a middle school in the province of Catania, where he worked as a school assistant, and then edited the resulting images using artificial intelligence, stripping them naked (deep nude) and making them appear next to him, as if the shot had been taken while they were together.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"On the suspect's devices investigators found several digital photographs of underage female students taken inside the school where he worked, some without the girls' knowledge, which had been altered with artificial-intelligence programs found on the seized devices to make the minors appear naked ('deep-nude') and to place them beside the suspect's own image, as if photographed together.","causal_attribution":"Police description of the seized material; single chain; no student account."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'trae origine da una segnalazione della organizzazione non governativa statunitense National Centre for Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC) al Centro Nazionale di Contrasto della Pedopornografia On-line (CNCPO) del Servizio Polizia Postale di Roma che ha trasmesso la nota alla Polizia Postale di Catania per gli approfondimenti investigativi'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'è stato rinvenuto un ingente quantitativo di immagini e video pedopornografici anche con vittime in età infantile o con scene di zoerastia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Gli specialisti cyber proseguono ora l’analisi tecnica sui supporti informatici per verificare l’eventuale diffusione dei contenuti manipolati in rete o l’esistenza di ulteriori vittime.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The investigation began with a report by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to the Postal Police's national centre in Rome, forwarded to Catania; the seized material included images and videos with child victims and bestiality; analysis continued to check whether the manipulated images were distributed online and whether there are further victims.","causal_attribution":"Police release as carried; single chain."}],"effects":[{"label":"underage students photographed at their school, some without their knowledge, and depicted naked in AI-altered images placed beside the suspect","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.rainews.it/tgr/sicilia/articoli/2026/03/foto-di-minori-e-alunne-denudate-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia-a65535c8-1a52-40b6-aaa0-4b2b048bc370.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (RaiNews TGR Sicilia, 14 March 2026). Carries the Polizia Postale / Procura release. Translated by the reviewer.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.cataniatoday.it/cronaca/polizia-postale-arresta-bidello-pedofilo.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (CataniaToday, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://meridionews.it/bidello-arrestato-catanese-pedopornografia/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (MeridioNews, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.cataniaoggi.it/catania/catania-arrestato-collaboratore-scolastico-detenzione-di-materiale-pedopornografico-e-deep-nude-di-minori-14-03-2026","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-22 (Cataniaoggi.it, 14 March 2026). Same release; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://en.lamilano.it/Catania/Catania%3A-School-worker-arrested-for-photographing-students-and-creating-deep-nude-images-with-artificial-intelligence/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (La Milano English edition, 14 March 2026). Same release, rewritten in English; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.unionesarda.it/en/italy/janitor-photographed-middle-school-students-and-undressed-them-with-ai-qzoxp221","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (L'Unione Sarda English edition, 14 March 2026). Same release plus a comment from the Meter association; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.fanpage.it/attualita/fotografa-di-nascosto-le-studentesse-a-scuola-e-le-denuda-con-lia-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read in Italian on 2026-09-22 from an Internet Archive capture (Fanpage, 14 March 2026; live page not fetched). Same release; grouped with s1.","independence_group":"polizia-postale-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["The number of students photographed and depicted.","The arrest date; the release was reported on 14 March 2026.","Whether the AI-altered images were distributed online, and whether the students or their families were informed.","Whether a separate charge covers the AI-altered images; the reports state possession of CSAM as the ground of arrest.","The programs used.","Any development after March 2026; none was found on 2026-09-22."],"geography":{"basis":"Middle school in the province of Catania, Sicily; arrest validated by the preliminary investigations judge (GIP) of Catania; investigation by the Procura di Catania and the Catania Postal Police (all inspected reports).","court_countries":["IT"],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case involving minors at a school, documented by a Postal Police and prosecutor release carried by seven outlets (single reporting chain, recorded as such). Not a death case. Nobody is named; the school is not identified.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Postal Police and the Catania prosecutor's office state that AI programs found on the seized devices were used to alter the students' photographs (deep-nude) and to place them beside the suspect's image. The programs are not named and no forensic report is public. The artifacts depicted the students; no AI system interacted with them.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Province of Catania, Sicily: a 58-year-old school assistant at a middle school was arrested for possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material; on his devices police found photographs of underage female students taken inside the school, some without their knowledge, altered with AI 'deep-nude' programs to show them naked beside his own image","summary":"Reports published on 14 March 2026, carrying a Postal Police account of an investigation coordinated by the Catania prosecutor's office, describe the arrest, in flagrante delicto, of a 58-year-old collaboratore scolastico (school assistant) at a secondary school (scuola media) in the province of Catania, on suspicion of possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse material. The preliminary investigations judge validated the arrest and placed him under house arrest. The investigation began with a report by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to the Postal Police's national centre in Rome, forwarded to Catania, whose cyber specialists identified the man; a search ordered by the prosecutor found images and videos including child victims and bestiality. Investigators also found on his devices digital photographs of underage female students taken inside the school where he worked, some without the girls' knowledge, which had been altered with artificial-intelligence programs found on the seized devices to make the minors appear naked ('deep-nude') and to place them beside the suspect's own image, as if photographed together. Analysis of the devices continued to establish whether the manipulated images were distributed online and whether there are further victims. The number of students depicted is not reported. No later development was found on 2026-09-22.","incidentDate":"2026-03-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-03-14","aiSystem":"AI image-manipulation ('deep-nude') programs found on the seized devices, not named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Underage students were photographed at their school, some without their knowledge, and depicted naked in AI-altered images placed beside the suspect's own image; the images were found on his devices, and whether they were distributed is still being checked. Attribution rests on the police account of the seized material; no student account has been published.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The police speak of 'diverse foto digitali' of 'alunne minorenni' and La Milano of 'several underage students'; no number is given. Unquantified, with zero placeholders.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.rainews.it/tgr/sicilia/articoli/2026/03/foto-di-minori-e-alunne-denudate-arrestato-bidello-per-pedopornografia-a65535c8-1a52-40b6-aaa0-4b2b048bc370.html","primarySourceLabel":"RaiNews TGR Sicilia, 14 March 2026: Foto di minori e alunne denudate: arrestato bidello per pedopornografia","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-14T16:49:52.737406+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:30.437868+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","deep-nude","ai-generated-imagery","csam","minor","school","italy","sicily","catania","polizia-postale","depicted"]},{"id":"2026-texas-covarrubias-ai-csam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'In April 2026, as part of a months-long AI-generated child pornography investigation, FBI Del Rio received consent to search and seize electronic devices at'; 'FBI Agents identified more than 900 images and videos containing AI-generated pornographic images created by'; 'depicting both prepubescent and pubescent children. Multiple non-AI-generated pornographic images of children were also identified in the seized digital evidence.'; 'was arrested and then booked into the Dimmit Co. Jail on May 19, 2026, for possession of computer-generated child pornography'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the FBI Del Rio Office executed a search warrant at'; 'FBI investigators said they found more than 900 images and videos containing AI-generated pornographic images allegedly created by'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'was arrested on May 19, 2026, and booked into the Dimmit County Jail'; 'seized electronic devices that allegedly contained more than 900 AI-generated child sexual abuse images and videos that depicted both prepubescent and pubescent children.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Texas DPS announced on 29 May 2026 that a 31-year-old Carrizo Springs man had been arrested and booked into the Dimmit County Jail on 19 May 2026, charged with possession of computer-generated child pornography under Texas Senate Bill 20, after an investigation with the FBI and the Dimmit County Sheriff's Office; DPS says FBI Del Rio searched his residence and seized electronic devices in April 2026, finding more than 900 images and videos of AI-generated sexual imagery of prepubescent and pubescent children that he created, plus multiple non-AI-generated sexual images of children.","causal_attribution":"Law-enforcement statements in the DPS release, relayed by two TV stations from the same release; charges only, no court findings. ABC13 describes a search warrant where the release describes consent to search."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'had taken photos from open-source pages affiliated with South Texas schools and manipulated them through AI tools to \"nudify\" the children. To date, approximately 30 child victims have been identified as part of this investigation.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'allegedly downloaded photographs from publicly accessible social media and other online pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used artificial intelligence software to create nude images of children.'; 'Authorities said approximately 30 child victims have been identified so far.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'allegedly took photos from websites associated with nearby schools and manipulated them through AI tools. DPS said they identified about 30 child victims.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"DPS says investigators determined that the man took photos from open-source pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used AI tools to \"nudify\" the children, and that approximately 30 child victims had been identified by 29 May 2026.","causal_attribution":"DPS attribution of the method and victim identification; the AI tools are not named and the allegation has not been tested in court."}],"effects":[{"label":"photos of about 30 children from South Texas school pages were allegedly altered with AI into nude and sexual images; the accused was charged","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-arrests-man-possession-hundreds-ai-generated-images-involving-south-texas-children","kind":"official_police_release","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Texas Department of Public Safety news release HQ 2026-054, 29 May 2026. The live URL timed out from this host on 2026-09-28 (no HTTP response); read in full from the Internet Archive capture of 6 June 2026 (web.archive.org/web/20260606045708id_/...). Law-enforcement allegations; no court findings.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://abc13.com/post/south-texas-man-accused-altering-images-real-children-create-ai-porn-dps-says/19207645/","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"ABC13 Houston (KTRK), 31 May 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the DPS release (\"according to DPS\"); says the FBI executed a search warrant, where the release says agents received consent to search.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-man-arrested-ai-generated-child-pornography-school-photos","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"FOX 7 Austin, 2 June 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). States that its information was provided by the Texas DPS; adds that the investigation remains ongoing.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/carrizo-springs-texas-ai-generated-child-porn-dimmitt-county/273-3fa912e4-2622-49f3-86d1-c811c10796c5","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"KENS5 San Antonio, 29 May 2026 (a historical source of the row). HTTP 403 live on 2026-09-28; the only Internet Archive capture (31 May 2026) also recorded a 403. Not read.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["Which AI tools or services were used; DPS refers only to AI tools used to \"nudify\" the children.","Whether any of the altered images were shared beyond the seized devices; none of the inspected sources says so.","Which schools' pages the photos came from, and whether the approximately 30 identified children or their families have been notified; DPS says the FBI is coordinating victim services.","The later course of the prosecution (indictment, plea or trial); no report after 2 June 2026 was found on 2026-09-28.","Whether the charge is a first-degree felony as DPS states for this arrest, or a state jail felony as the same release describes the new SB 20 offence."],"geography":{"basis":"DPS places the search and the accused's residence in Carrizo Springs, Texas, and the booking at the Dimmit County Jail; the photos came from pages affiliated with South Texas schools, so the depicted children are described as South Texas schoolchildren. The state charges are pursued in Texas.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-minor case with a criminal charge announced by Texas DPS and relayed by two TV stations from the same release; the allegations are recorded as reported. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the accused and the children are not named in the public text.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The DPS release says the images and videos were AI-generated and that the accused used AI tools to 'nudify' photos of children; these are law-enforcement statements relayed by two TV stations, not court findings, and the tools are not named.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Carrizo Springs, Texas: a man was arrested in May 2026 after investigators say he used AI tools to turn photos from South Texas school pages into nude images of about 30 children, among more than 900 AI-generated abuse images and videos","summary":"Texas DPS announced on 29 May 2026 that a 31-year-old man from Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, had been arrested and booked into the county jail on 19 May 2026 on a charge of possession of computer-generated child pornography, a charge DPS says was made possible by Texas Senate Bill 20. According to DPS, FBI agents in Del Rio searched his home in April 2026 and seized devices (DPS says with consent; ABC13 says under a search warrant) holding more than 900 AI-generated sexual images and videos of prepubescent and pubescent children that he had created, as well as non-AI sexual images of children. Investigators say he took photos of children from publicly accessible pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used AI tools to make nude images of them, and that about 30 child victims had been identified. The FBI is coordinating victim services. The allegations are charges; no later court development was found.","incidentDate":"2026-04-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-05-29","aiSystem":"AI image-manipulation ('nudify') tools, unidentified","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Texas DPS says photos of about 30 identified children, taken from pages affiliated with South Texas schools, were altered with AI tools into nude and sexual images, among more than 900 AI-generated abuse images and videos found on the accused's devices (DPS release, relayed by ABC13 and FOX 7). These are law-enforcement allegations awaiting trial; no effect on the children beyond the depiction is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"DPS says 'approximately 30 child victims have been identified'. An approximate figure is not a lower bound, so no minimum is recorded; images are not counted as people.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-TX","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-arrests-man-possession-hundreds-ai-generated-images-involving-south-texas-children","primarySourceLabel":"Texas Department of Public Safety, 29 May 2026: DPS Arrests Man in Possession of Hundreds of AI-Generated Images Involving South Texas Children","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-03T07:36:20.964565+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:56.460237+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["csam","deepfake","minor","school-photos","criminal-charges","texas","sb-20","depicted-or-impersonated","restored"]}]}