Wisconsin man arrested for producing, distributing, and possessing AI-generated child porn
HOLMEN, Wis. (WFRV) – A 42-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested on criminal charges related to allegedly producing, distributing, and possessing AI-generated images of minors engaging in sexually explicit content.
According to the United States Department of Justice, 42-year-old Steven Anderegg of Holmen (La Crosse County) used a text-to-image generative artificial intelligence model called Stable Diffusion to create thousands of realistic images of minors.
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Many of these images reportedly depicted nude or partially clothed minors lasciviously displaying or touching their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with men.
Evidence recovered from Anderegg’s electronic devices revealed that he generated these images using specific, sexually explicit text prompts related to minors, which he then stored on his computer.
“As alleged, Steven Anderegg used AI to produce thousands of illicit images of prepubescent minors and even sent sexually explicit AI-generated images to a minor,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement sends a clear message: using AI to produce sexually explicit depictions of children is illegal, and the Justice Department will not hesitate to hold accountable those who possess, produce, or distribute AI-generated child sexual abuse material.”
Additionally, Anderegg allegedly communicated with a 15-year-old boy and described how he used Stable Diffusion to convert his text prompts into images of minors.
Anderegg also allegedly used Instagram to direct messages to send the boy several GenAI images of minors displaying their genitals. Anderegg came to the attention of law enforcement through a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after Instagram reported Anderegg’s account to NCMEC for distributing these images.
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin returned an indictment on May 15, charging Anderegg with producing, distributing, and possessing obscene visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and transferring obscene material to a minor under the age of 16.
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If convicted of all four counts alleged in the indictment, he faces a total statutory maximum penalty of 70 years in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.
Anderegg remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 22.
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