A teenage boy is accused of using artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of girls in Wake County, Knightdale police said.
The teenager, whose name has not been released because of his age, faces multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. Knightdale Police announced that a safe custody order for the youth was issued on June 18, 2026.
Several local parents contacted WRAL claiming their daughters were victims in connection with a juvenile crime investigation. Over the summer, the parents said their daughters learned that their photos had been allegedly manipulated by artificial intelligence to depict sexually explicit images.
Parents said the non-explicit photos were taken from a variety of sources, including social media, and altered using AI. At this time, research does not reveal how many girls may have been victims of photo manipulation.
A Knightdale spokesperson said, “This remains an active and ongoing investigation. In accordance with North Carolina law, because this case involves a juvenile victim and a juvenile offender, no additional information will be released regarding the identities of those involved or other details of the investigation.”
“The Knightdale Police Department remains committed to protecting children, thoroughly investigating crimes, and holding criminals accountable under the law.”
The Wake County parent, who requested anonymity, said her daughter’s photo was manipulated by the suspect, but not in a way that would lead to criminal charges.
“This is terrible because you’re trying to protect your children from the world as much as possible,” she said.
The parents are aware of a criminal investigation into the photos of the other girls.
“Let me just say… this is a traumatic experience for the girls… it’s going to cause problems down the road. A lot of people are saying, ‘How do I know the person next to me isn’t seeing these pictures?'” she said.
Their parents and investigators told WRAL that the women were students at Wake County Public Schools.
WRAL News asked the school district:
- Have parents been notified?
- What safeguards are in place to protect the students involved?
- Is the suspect a Wake County student?
A school district spokesperson said no students enrolled under the suspect’s name provided to WRAL by parents, but declined to answer other questions.
North Carolina law that criminalizes child pornography does not distinguish between real photos and photos created by artificial intelligence. Friday’s WRAL News examines the current law and explains the complexities that AI adds to investigations like this one.
