U.S. Army Soldier from Texas Indicted for AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

Seth Herrera, a 35-year-old U.S. Army soldier from El Paso, Texas, has been federally indicted on charges of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of files depicting child sexual abuse. Beginning in 2021, Herrera allegedly used encrypted messaging and network applications to find, receive, and download child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including AI-generated images created with artificial intelligence chatbots featuring children he personally knew. He is also accused of secretly taking images and videos of these children undressing in his home. Herrera faces additional charges in Alaska related to the transportation, receipt, and possession of CSAM while stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. These allegations highlight concerning misuse of AI technology in the creation and distribution of illegal content involving minors.