Soldier Charged With Using AI To Create Child Pornography

An army soldier in Alaska has been charged with using artificial intelligence (AI) to create child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) based on children he knew, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Seth Herrera, 34, stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, has been indicted on charges of transporting, possessing, and receiving files depicting child sexual abuse according to court documents.

Herrera is also accused of using AI chatbots to create child sexual abuse materials depicting children that he knew and utilizing encrypted messaging applications to find and download such materials, according to federal prosecutors.

He is accused of possessing tens of thousands of visual depictions of CSAM, including children as young as infants, on numerous cellphones, per court documents.

Herrera was arrested on August 23 and has been charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography and will appear in court on August 27.

In a statement, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, “The misuse of cutting-edge generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of dangerous content, including child sexual abuse material – so the Department of Justice is accelerating its enforcement efforts.”

Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Pacific Northwest Division also commented on the case and said, “The charges against Herrera, a U.S. military soldier, for trafficking and generating child sexual abuse materials using artificial intelligence represent a profound violation of trust as well as preview of the challenges law enforcement continues to face in this evolving threat to our children.”

He continued, “This appalling misconduct undermines Herrera’s commitment to defending both our nation and its most vulnerable members.”

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska stated, “Technology may change, but our commitment to protecting children will not. We will aggressively pursue those who produce and traffic in child sexual abuse material (CSAM), no matter how that material was created. Put simply, CSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and those who sexually exploit children, through whatever technological means, will be held accountable by our office in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, for justice and the safety of our children.”

If found guilty, Herrera will face up to 20 years in prison, with a minimum penalty of five years.

The FBI notified the public that utilizing AI to create child sexual abuse materials is illegal in March in a public service announcement.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IFW), an independent not-for-profit organization working to keep children safe online, published a 2024 report and found that more than 3,000 AI CSAM videos were shared online last year and that the first AI CSAM videos were put online.

The IFW also found that the number of views on AI-specific threads containing CSAM increased by 22 percent from September 2023 to March to April 2024.

Newsweek reached out to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Alaska and the Department of Homeland Security for comment via email.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.