Two men arrested for creating and distributing AI-generated deepfake pornography
Two men were arrested for creating and distributing thousands of AI-generated pornographic deepfakes depicting female celebrities, politicians, and private individuals including high school classmates. The case was among the first prosecutions under the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes publishing non-consensual deepfake pornography with penalties up to two years in prison.
What happened
Cornelius Shannon, 51, of New Jersey, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, of Texas, were arrested in May 2026 for creating and distributing AI-generated deepfake pornography. Shannon published at least 240 albums of AI-generated pornographic images and videos featuring 90 different female victims, including politicians and entertainers, which were viewed more than 2.1 million times on a pornography website since May 2025.
Hernandez created and posted deepfake pornography of 50 female victims, including celebrities, musicians, actresses, his female classmates, and a religious mother and daughter, viewed more than 940,000 times. He also created yearbook-style morphing videos depicting high school classmates in graduation attire transitioning into sexually explicit videos.
Reported impact
The deepfake pornography garnered millions of views online, with videos and images depicting women without their consent in sexually explicit scenarios. The U.S. Attorney stated the men had 'used cutting-edge digital technology to create images that degraded and violated' dozens of women and that 'posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime.'
Index analysis
The case was among the earliest prosecutions under the Take It Down Act, a law signed in 2025 that bars publishing AI-created sexually explicit content without consent and carries penalties of up to two years in prison.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.