NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) operation showed new challenges in protecting kids from sexual exploitation.
In one instance, a man allegedly used AI to turn an image of his minor daughter into a nude photograph and shared it online.
With online sexual exploitation crimes becoming more disturbing, law enforcement says AI is also creating some complexities when it comes to investigating these cases.
“So, the ease that they can create this kind of material is probably going to double or triple our workload. Because some of these AI images are so realistic looking, we don’t know if it’s a real child or not,” said Paul Lusk, Digital Forensic Examiner at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
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Earlier this year, News 2 spoke with Lusk told News 2 law enforcement can now prosecute individuals using AI just the same as cases involving real children.
This week, the TBI arrested ten individuals during ‘Operation Autumn Shield’ and charged them with sexual exploitation of children. In some cases, individuals had or shared over 100 images. In one instance, a man allegedly used AI to turn an image of his minor daughter into a nude photograph. Agents were able to identify 19 child victims in online sexual exploitation and sextortion cases.
“We’ve actually had cases here in Wilson County involving sextortion and that’s a really big problem rising across the country,” said Scott Moore, Public Information Officer for Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sextortion is where a minor is forced into sending inappropriate content to someone online. In return, the online predator threatens to publicize the content if they don’t send over money or more images.
“And we’ve actually had cases like this in Wilson County and it is very alarming and there have been kids across the country who have committed suicide because of fear that someone was going to post something inappropriate of them online,” Moore said.
Earlier this month, the sheriff’s office and Homeland Security met with Wilson County parents to inform them about new tactics used by online predators and the growing crime of sextortion cases.
“With technology out there and the use of social media and apps and games, it really exploits details that are not only detrimental to the family but to the child,” Moore said.
TBI agents are still attempting to identify eight more child victims of sextortion cases. Most of the victims were on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Both companies have reported these cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
