A soldier with the 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska was arrested last week on charges that he used an artificial intelligence program to create sexually explicit images of real children he knew. (U.S. Air Force)
A soldier with the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska was arrested last week on charges he used an artificial intelligence program to create sexually explicit images of real children he knew.
Spc. Seth Herrera, 34, who is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, was found with thousands of violent images of child sexual abuse in his possession, including infants, the Justice Department announced Monday.
“He also allegedly used AI to create images depicting the sexual exploitation of children he knew,” said Nicole Argentieri, who leads the department’s Criminal Division.
Artificial intelligence software can be used to combine a photo of a real person with a sexually explicit image or video to create a “deep fake” that the program can often animate as well.
Herrera is a motor transport operator assigned to the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion of the 11th Airborne Division at Elmendorf-Richardson, a base shared by the Army and Air Force, according to John Pennell, an Army spokesman at the base.
Herrera is charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, federal authorities said. If convicted on all charges, Herrera faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Herrera will appear Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Army Criminal Investigative Division are investigating the case.
Army Spc. Seth Herrera, 34, was found with thousands of violent images of child sexual abuse in his possession, including infants, the Justice Department said. (U.S. Justice Department)
Robert Hammer, who is in charge of Homeland Security investigations in the Pacific Northwest, said Herrera had violated his oath as a member of the armed services to protect the nation.
“The charges against Herrera, a U.S. military soldier, for trafficking and generating child sexual abuse materials using artificial intelligence represent a profound violation of trust as well as preview of the challenges law enforcement continues to face in this evolving threat to our children,” Hammer said. “This appalling misconduct undermines Herrera’s commitment to defending both our nation and its most vulnerable members.”
The rapid growth and accessibility of artificial intelligence tools have fueled the proliferation of such crimes, federal authorities said.
“Criminals considering the use of AI to perpetuate their crimes should stop and think twice — because the Department of Justice is prosecuting AI-enabled criminal conduct to the fullest extent of the law and will seek increased sentences wherever warranted,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
Several bipartisan bills introduced in Congress are trying to close the legal gap that lawmakers have said is propelling the spread of “nonconsensual explicit images made using artificial intelligence.”
The rapid advance and distribution of AI software has spread “deep fakes” beyond the original targets — public figures and celebrities — but everyday people and even kids,” according to a report in The Hill.
If anyone has information concerning Herrera’s actions or might have encountered someone in person or online using the name Seth Herrera, they can contact the tip line at 1-877-447-4847.
