In a disturbing case out of Florida, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrested and charged a Jensen Beach white male with taking a photo of a child — who was fully clothed — and then using AI technology to convert that image into pornography.
“He takes the face of a child and then he sexualizes that, removes the clothing and poses the child, and engages them in certain sexual activity, and that’s the images he’s making with this AI,” said Det. Brian Broughton of the Special Victims Unit at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The accused is 51-year-old Daniel Warren, who faces 17 criminal charges for his role in victimizing a youngster from his neighborhood.
The case is the first of its kind on the Treasure Coast.
“He was very friendly to many of the neighborhood children, as well as the other families, and so it was an activity that happened in the shadows, and the other families were unaware,” Broughton told CBS12 News.
People in the neighborhood didn’t want to speak on camera but told WPEC that they are outraged this happened in their community.
“This was a trusted neighbor, and then this neighbor took this information and made something despicable out of it,” said Martin County’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek.
According to Detective Broughton, who investigates internet crimes against children for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office — and the FBI — this case started with a tip.
While the white pedophile isn’t cooperating with detectives, they found enough evidence on dozens of devices he was using to create these images to arrest him — and possibly others.
“This even shocked me, that that technology has now got to the level where it’s so realistic,” Broughton remarked. “You see deep fakes with celebrities and politicians. This is just a new level. It’s pretty scary stuff.”
Investigators confirm the suspect was trading the images he created online, and the sheriff’s office is working with other jurisdictions to potentially track those individuals down.
One piece of advice for parents: detectives say to tell your children not to let strangers take their picture.
“We’re rapidly evolving into an era where no one is safe, I think this case highlights that thought process,” Budensiek conceded.
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