Minnesota school worker arrested for AI-generated child sexual abuse images
A former Minnesota school employee was charged with using AI technology to generate sexually explicit images of children in his care by manipulating photos he had secretly taken. William Michael Haslach, who worked as a lunch monitor, traffic guard, paraprofessional and summer program assistant across two school districts, was arrested in January and federally indicted on multiple counts including possession and production of child sexual abuse material.
What happened
William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District 622 (North St. Paul, Maplewood and Oakdale) and ISD 834 in Stillwater, was charged with possession of child pornography and production of obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse on February 26, 2025.
Haslach served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for ISD 622 from August 2021 to January 2025, and as a paraprofessional and youth summer programs assistant in Stillwater from 2021 to 2024. According to court documents, he took non-explicit photos of children in his care and used AI to produce photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He also possessed and received child pornography involving children who were abused by others.
Haslach was arrested January 22 following an investigation by Maplewood police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. The federal indictment charges him with five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse.
Reported impact
U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick stated that the case affects many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.