TAMPA, Fla. – FBI Tampa is reminding Floridians that it’s illegal to use technology – like artificial intelligence – to create sexually explicit content of children.
“Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) created with content manipulation technologies, to include generative artificial intelligence (AI), is illegal,” FBI Tampa wrote in a post on social media on Monday.
According to investigators with the FBI, criminals are using AI to turn real pictures of real children into sexually explicit content or child pornography.
“You just need to be very careful as far as what you’re posting online with your children,” FBI Special Agent Kevin Kaufman told FOX 13. “The positions they’re in, even though they’re clothed, it can turn it into a more provocative image if they choose to generate an AI image.”
Criminals can then use these AI-generated, sexually explicit images to harass or extort young victims.
“Most of the predators that children deal with online are professionals,” Kaufman said. “There are people that do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
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A few weeks ago, Steven Houser, a science teacher at a Christian school in Pasco County, was arrested for child pornography after an investigation revealed “thousands of pictures.” However, more charges could be coming for the Beacon Christian Academy teacher.
According to Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco, Houser admitted to using AI to generate erotic content with yearbook photos of students from his school.
“Now, we have to go back and try to see the photograph and see if that photograph lines up with a real human being,” Nocco said.
READ: Hernando County man arrested for child porn after over month-long investigation: Deputies
Law enforcement and the FBI both acknowledged that sophisticated technology, like AI, can make investigations into these cases difficult.
“We have to think of ways that these criminals can’t keep doing these types of things and using artificial intelligence,” Nocco said. “Technology keeps growing and getting more into our lives. These criminals are going to use it for different ways.”
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