New Jersey’s deputy attorney general, Brian Richard Fitzgerald, was arrested at his home on Thursday on felony charges related to creating and distributing AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Bucks County Detectives confirmed the arrest, citing digital forensics and IP records that led to Fitzgerald’s home address.
Fitzgerald, 51, was accused of using AI to transform photos of real minors into sexualized images, which he then shared on social media. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a tip in July, prompting law enforcement to investigate and recover prompts and scripts used to create AI-generated CSAM.
The case highlights the growing legal scrutiny of AI-generated CSAM, as authorities across the U.S. and globally have intensified efforts to combat the crime. Fitzgerald’s arrest is rare, as it involves a state official accused of producing and distributing AI CSAM, though similar cases have occurred in Pennsylvania and South Korea.
"He admitted to making multiple illicit images using artificial intelligence and sharing them with other users," according to the press release. Fitzgerald’s LinkedIn profile shows he has served as deputy attorney general since 2016, focusing on insurance fraud and licensing cases.
New Jersey’s district attorney, Joe Khan, emphasized that AI CSAM is treated as equally harmful as real CSAM. "No one is above the law, least of all someone entrusted with upholding it," Khan said. The office will pursue such cases aggressively.
Fitzgerald faces charges of possession of CSAM, dissemination of CSAM, and criminal use of a communication facility. The case underscores the challenges of enforcing laws against AI-generated content, with no clear guidance on how to proceed in such cases.
Source: arstechnica
