Army soldier charged with using AI to generate child abuse images
A U.S. Army soldier in Alaska was charged with using AI chatbots to generate child sexual abuse material depicting real children he knew. Federal investigators found tens of thousands of abuse images on his devices and he also possessed and distributed CSAM from other sources through encrypted messaging.
What happened
Seth Herrera, a 34-year-old U.S. Army soldier stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested on August 23, 2024, after federal investigators discovered he used artificial intelligence chatbots to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting minors he knew.
Law enforcement located tens of thousands of images of child sexual abuse on cellphones he owned, including depictions of infants. Herrera also used encrypted messaging applications to find, receive, and download CSAM from other sources.
Reported impact
The generated abuse images depicted real children known to the defendant. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that the misuse of generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of dangerous content including CSAM.
Index analysis
This case represents one of the first federal prosecutions involving AI-generated CSAM. The FBI issued a public service announcement in March 2024 warning that CSAM created with content manipulation technologies, including generative AI, is illegal.
Governance controls
Herrera was charged with one count each of transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years in prison.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.