Holly Hill, Florida – Holly Hill Police Chief Byron Williams said artificial intelligence is being used in “disturbing ways” by online predators, creating new challenges for investigators.
“It's alarming how AI is being used in today's market,” Williams said.
In June, police arrested David McCune, 47, a teacher accused of using AI to generate child pornography. He was sentenced this week to 135 years in prison.
“This is the first one we've seen with an AI component, but I'm sure it won't be the last,” Williams said.
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Williams warned parents to monitor their children online, know what apps they're using and be careful about what they post because “you never know who's lurking behind the screen.”
“Some of the challenges we're looking at, one of them is the amount of material, and the ability to create thousands of images very quickly. And we monitor who's behind the screen. They can keep themselves anonymous,” he said.
Williams said investigators are tracking IP addresses and examining suspects' digital footprints to stay proactive.
“It changes more rapidly than traditional investigative tools, so we need to stay on top of the situation and make sure we collaborate with our federal and state partners,” Williams said.
When asked how AI-generated images can be dangerous even if they are not real, Williams said, “It doesn't matter. The dangers associated with AI enhance sextortion for certain manipulated images using online social media photos.”
He added that Florida law is clear that “the creation, possession, and destruction of child pornography does not matter whether it is generated by AI or not.”
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This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis called for an AI Bill of Rights to protect minors from AI-generated depictions.
“We have a responsibility to make sure we have enough guardrails in place to make sure this doesn't harm our children, our families, our businesses, and our seniors,” DeSantis said.
Asked if the department was doing more to protect people from this type of crime, Williams said: “We are looking to acquire and order more equipment.”
Williams also said the department is strengthening its relationships with state and federal agencies that have more advanced equipment to ensure that looters cannot get away with this type of crime.
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