CHANDLER, Ariz. — Prosecutors in Maricopa County have obtained their first indictment for charges involving CSAM generated through artificial intelligence.
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William Powderly, 44, was recently indicted for 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after he was allegedly found in possession of child sexual abuse material. Chandler police investigated the defendant after getting a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Two of the images in the suspect’s possession utilized AI to swap a child’s face onto explicit materials of another young female, officials said.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said the case is the first in the county to involve AI-generated CSAM.
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Arizona lawmakers successfully passed legislation last year addressing sex abuse images generated through AI tools.
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