A U.S. soldier in Alaska is going through federal costs after prosecutors say that he used synthetic intelligence to create sexual photographs of youngsters whom he knew — together with these round his personal daughter’s age.
Spc. Seth Herrera, 34, who’s stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested final week on three costs that stem from his possession of hundreds of photographs that prosecutors say depicted the violent sexual abuse of youngsters, together with infants.
Herrera’s costs come simply months after federal officials charged a Wisconsin man with comparable allegations in a case that’s believed to be the first attempt to prosecute the creation of baby sexual abuse materials fully by way of AI.
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In court docket paperwork, prosecutors say that Herrera is a heavy automobile driver for the Army who usually drives provides between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
John Pennell, a spokesman for the Military, informed Army.com that Herrera joined the service in November 2019, and was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Bliss, Texas; and in South Korea earlier than being assigned to the eleventh Airborne Division and arriving in Alaska in August 2023.
According to court documents, investigators discovered that Herrera’s three Samsung Galaxy cellphones have been “replete with contraband” and “contained, amongst different proof, tens of hundreds of movies and pictures depicting the violent rape and sexual abuse of youngsters as younger as infants, courting again to as early as March 2021.”
Prosecutors stated Herrera, who lives together with his spouse and daughter, had “obtained and particularly sought [child pornography] recordsdata depicting minor females across the similar age as his prepubescent, minor daughter.”
As well as, he took nude and inappropriate photographs and movies of youngsters whom he knew and used AI to improve these photos. He additionally “created new, morphed” photographs utilizing AI.
“When the surreptitious recordings and pictures didn’t fulfill his sexual needs, he turned to AI chatbots to guarantee these minor victims could be depicted as if they’d engaged within the kind of sexual conduct he wished to see,” the court docket paperwork added.
Army.com reached out to Herrera’s protection legal professional however didn’t obtain a response.
Particular Agent in Cost Robert Hammer of Homeland Safety Investigations stated that Herrera’s actions have been “a profound violation of belief” and that the “appalling misconduct undermines [his] dedication to defending each our nation and its most weak members,” in a statement released Monday.
“The misuse of cutting-edge generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of harmful content material,” Deputy Legal professional Common Lisa Monaco stated in the identical assertion. “Criminals contemplating the use of AI to perpetuate their crimes ought to cease and assume twice.”
Court docket information present {that a} decide ordered Herrera be jailed till trial throughout a listening to Tuesday.
The assertion from the Division of Justice stated that, if convicted, Herrera faces a most of 20 years in jail.
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