19-year-old university student produces and sells deepfake child sexual abuse images online leading to 21 felony charges
Summary
A Northern Illinois University student, Michael Erickson, was arrested after allegedly using artificial intelligence to create deepfake images of female classmates in undressed poses. Erickson, 19, admitted to producing and selling these images online, including on Telegram and Snapchat, to users who paid him for the altered photos. The victims, most of whom he had attended high school with, were between 13 and 17 years old when their photos were originally taken. Police found over 20,000 suspected child sexual abuse images in Erickson’s dorm room after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in April. Erickson was charged with 21 felony counts, including production and dissemination of child pornography. He was released on pretrial conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on July 17.
Incident Details
Harms involving the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors, including CSAM and grooming.
Sources
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