New Jersey’s deputy attorney general, Brian Richard Fitzgerald, has been arrested for using AI to create and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to a press release from Bucks County Detectives. The charges are serious – felony charges related to AI-generated CSAM.

Since 2024, US law enforcement has been cracking down on AI CSAM. In one of the earliest cases, a Wisconsin man was arrested for sharing thousands of realistic images of prepubescent minors across social media platforms like Telegram and Instagram. The Department of Justice clarified that CSAM generated by AI is still considered CSAM, affirming the legal stance.

The arrest of Fitzgerald came after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip that a Discord user had shared an illicit image in July. Cops traced the user to Fitzgerald’s home and found evidence of his digital misdeeds. Prompts and scripts used to create AI-generated CSAM, along with chat logs where Fitzgerald admitted to making and sharing such images, were recovered.

This case highlights the ongoing challenges in regulating AI-generated content, particularly when it comes to illegal material. As technology advances, so too does the complexity of enforcing laws meant to protect children.