AI-generated sex images a growing problem for law enforcement

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a CyberTipline to report abuse or exploitation anonymously. The agency also provides resources for removing explicit images.

CLARK COUNTY, Ark. — A disturbing new form of child sexual abuse material has emerged in Arkansas, leaving victims and law enforcement struggling to keep up.

The case began last year when Arkansas State Police received a tip that 33-year-old Ethan Fagan, of Amity, was downloading child sexual abuse material. A subpoena traced the activity to Fagan’s computer, but investigators soon discovered something far more alarming: Fagan had used artificial intelligence to create sexual images of real children and adults from Clark County, including people he knew personally.

One victim, Kendra, who had known Fagan her whole life, says he lifted photos of her from her Facebook page and then altered them without her knowledge, creating explicit material, and she had no idea he was doing it.

“I felt anger, shock, denial,” Kendra said. “I didn’t want to believe it when I realized who it was. I was really hurt and very angry.”

Kendra attended Fagan’s trial every day, describing it as both nerve-wracking and empowering. Fagan was ultimately sentenced to 90 years in prison.

Clark County Prosecutor Dan Turner said the case was unlike any he had encountered.

“There were children and adults from the community that were having their images taken and then converted into pornographic images,” he said. “I had never seen anything like that.”

Turner emphasized that creating such images fuels a market for child exploitation, rejecting the defense’s argument that “no one was physically harmed.”

The state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, led by Sgt. Corwin Battle has seen a sharp increase in AI-generated sexual content. Reports jumped from 6,800 last year to 8,600 year-to-date. Many offenders use virtual private networks and foreign servers to hide their activity, making it difficult for law enforcement to track them.

Chris Harper, a cybercrime investigator with the State Police, said AI allows images and videos to be created in seconds.

“They’ll pull photographs off Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram and just run those pictures through AI software,” he said. “It’s that quick.”

Even when cases are resolved, images can never be fully removed. Each alteration creates a new digital signature, making permanent deletion nearly impossible. Kendra warned that images could resurface years later.

Arkansas lawmakers passed Act 977 earlier this year, making it a felony to create, share, or possess AI-generated sexual images of minors, even if no real child was harmed. Turner called it a “tremendous tool” for prosecutors, but he cautioned that technology continues to evolve faster than legal frameworks.

Alongside Act 977, the PROTECT Arkansas Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, means Fagan will serve 100% of his sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ custody.

Kendra said the experience has made her cautious online and offline.

“You never know who, what, when, or how,” she said. “Even someone you know and trust could do something like this. I just want to protect others who don’t know, because I did not. I had no idea what AI was or what you could do with it… but now I do.”

Sgt. Battle urged parents to monitor their children’s devices, maintain open dialogue, and stay vigilant. “The technology is emerging so fast,” he said. “We just tell parents to stay active on their kids’ phones.”

Fagan remains behind bars, but investigators continue to identify nearly 80 victims, many of whom are still unknown. The case highlights the growing threat of AI-assisted sexual exploitation and the challenges law enforcement faces in protecting communities from this evolving crime.