PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — A Broward County man has been arrested and charged with multiple charges, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators allege that he used AI to create and send nude images of his teenage co-workers, then tried to extort money or messages from them.
According to the affidavit, deputies were called after a 17-year-old Boca West Country Club employee reported that a co-worker had gotten an Instagram account several months ago and started sending sexual messages. The indictment alleges that the co-worker sent the victim an AI-edited image of one of her TikTok videos – showing a face on a nude adult’s body – and threatened to “expose” the image if she didn’t resume contact.
According to investigators, the message exchange escalated on March 8, 2026, when the suspect allegedly sent a flagged image via Instagram’s Vanish mode. The teen told deputies she identified the image as a screenshot of a TikTok video she posted in 2023 when she was about 13 or 14 years old. She said the AI-generated edits showed breasts and genitals that did not belong to her.
According to the affidavit, the suspect admitted knowing she was a minor and wrote, “I know you are still a minor,” and at one point said, “I love you” and that he “thought of her as a daughter.” The suspect also reportedly tried to lure her with money, first offering “$200,” then saying he would give her “$1,000,” and writing, “If you get her nails and feet done, she’ll never hear from him again.”
The documents also include messages in which the suspect allegedly wrote, “Police can get information,” and denied any wrongdoing, saying, “I didn’t do what you’re saying.” The affidavit also claims he “found many photos online” of the victim and said he told her there were photos he “didn’t want her to see.”
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Investigators said the suspect continued to contact the victim even after she blocked him, switching to other phone numbers and messaging platforms such as SMS and WhatsApp. Records reviewed by law enforcement say one of the phone numbers used was associated with a TMobile account registered to the suspect. Victims provided screenshots, text threads, Zelle transaction records, and the AI images themselves to lawmakers.
The affidavit also mentions another incident in March in which Sunrise police reportedly responded after a friend said the suspect was looking for a firearm. Police there said he underwent a Baker Act evaluation on March 12 for allegedly threatening people while intoxicated.
Palm Beach County detectives say that after examining the evidence, they have probable cause to arrest the man on the following charges: Altered sexual depictions of an identifiable person, Communication of harmful substances to minorsand Unlawful use of two-way communication devices. Victims described significant psychological effects from the incident, including anxiety, sleep disturbances, appetite disorders and fear of encountering the suspect.
Ball’s bond was set at $75,000.
A representative from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest. The case remains under investigation and will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office.
