In a groundbreaking case, a 48-year-old man from Gravelly Beach, Tasmania has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing and accessing child abuse material (CAM). What sets this conviction apart is that it involves content generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Tasmania Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (TAS-JACET), comprising members from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Tasmania Police, initiated an investigation in November 2022. Their focus was an Australian-based user who was allegedly saving and downloading CAM from a website and social media platform. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has raised multiple reports related to this individual.
On May 1, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at the offender’s residence in Gravelly Beach. Among the seized electronic devices was the man’s computer. A meticulous examination of its contents revealed a disturbing cache of files containing child abuse material. What made this case particularly chilling was that a significant portion of these files had been generated by AI.
The man was promptly arrested and charged. On October 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Possession of child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
- Using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the same act.
The court handed down a two-year prison sentence, with a non-parole period of 10 months.
Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle of the AFP emphasised the gravity of this case. It marked the first time that law enforcement in Tasmania had located and seized AI-generated child abuse material. Sgt. Hardcastle underscored that regardless of its origin, child abuse material remains reprehensible. Whether it’s a real child victim or AI-generated content, the impact is equally devastating.
The TAS-JACET, along with the AFP and other law enforcement partners, remains committed to identifying and prosecuting those who share such abhorrent content. As technology evolves, so do the methods of exploitation. Online simulations, fantasy, text-based stories, animations, and even AI-generated material depicting child sexual abuse all fall under the umbrella of child abuse material.
