Florida man arrested for AI-generated nude image of teen coworker
A 49-year-old Florida man was arrested after allegedly using AI to generate an explicit nude image of a 17-year-old coworker, then used the synthetic image to sexually harass, extort and blackmail her. The victim reported the incidents to the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office, and the man now faces multiple felony charges.
What happened
Thomas Christopher Ball, 49, of Coral Springs worked as a painter in the engineering department at Boca West Country Club where a 17-year-old girl worked in the fitness department. Ball obtained the teen's Instagram account, began messaging her, made sexual comments, and described sexual acts he wanted to perform on her.
In March 2026, Ball sent the teen an AI-altered image of her that was nude, created from a screenshot of one of her TikTok videos from 2023 when she was 13 or 14 years old. Ball told her he had the image and claimed to have more, threatening to expose her if she did not resume talking to him at work.
Ball sent additional messages stating he loved her and wanted to give her money and take her to a spa. After she blocked him on Instagram, he contacted her from an unknown phone number during a work meeting.
Reported impact
The 17-year-old victim reported the incidents to authorities. The teen distanced herself from Ball after his initial sexual harassment and blocking him.
Index analysis
Ball used an AI image generation tool to create a sexually explicit synthetic image of the minor victim without her consent, then weaponized it for sexual coercion and blackmail.
Governance controls
Ball was arrested on charges including generating altered sexual depictions without consent, sending harmful material to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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