Efforts underway to combat AI-generated child pornography

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An effort is underway in Harrisburg to take on a growing problem across the nation and our region: AI-generated child pornography.

Area prosecutors say “Deep fake images” pose a challenge for investigators since the images are not those of real people.

It’s all about the law keeping up with technology and prosecutors tell 28/22 News AI is creating many so-called loopholes in the current law. Making it hard to track down and prosecute the bad guys.

State lawmakers are taking steps to change that.

There’s no escaping it AI-generated material is just about everywhere and child predators are using it to generate child porn.

“The way AI generates images you can’t tell if we have a real victim or a computer-generated victim. Should we be urgently looking to save someone or is this completely a fake photo,” says Sam Sanguedolce the Luzerne County District Attorney.

If it’s fake, can the person who made it be prosecuted? Sanguedolce says the current child pornography laws only prohibit images of actual children. Not images that are artificially generated.

“People have begun generating child porn with AI so that they aren’t real children. We’ve redefined the law thanks to the senator or at least a bill that’s come out of the senate to define that as child pornography as well,” says D.A. Sanguedolce.

Sanguedolce is referring to Senator Lisa Baker from Luzerne County. She sponsored legislation that would redefine and refocus child porn laws in Pennsylvania. Updating the current legal term ‘Child Pornography to ‘Child Sexual Abuse Materials.’

“So these expansions and definition changes are going to give our prosecutors the tools to go after the people who put up this vile terrible child pornography exploitation this is about protecting Pennsylvania’s kids,” added Sen. Lisa Baker (R) 20th District.

Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters supports the bill and says there’s no time to waste.

“It’s growing by leaps and bounds? Exponentially as far as the presence online somewhere?” asked 28/22 News Andy Mehalshick.

“It is. It will continue to do that. The best thing we could do is make people aware and fix the law to either fill in those loopholes or create new statutes that allow us to go after these people,”

Peters and Sanguedolce tell 28/22 News if it becomes law it would help them prosecute other crimes such as revenge porn or sexting.

28/22 News will have more on this effort in the days and weeks ahead.

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