Missouri Man Convicted of Receiving Child Pornography and Using AI to Generate Obscene Images of Children
A federal jury in Springfield convicted Jeremy Koppenhaver, 46, on charges of receiving child pornography and employing artificial intelligence to produce obscene images of minors. The verdict triggers mandatory federal sentencing proceedings that will determine prison terms, supervised release, and restitution requirements under statutes governing child sexual abuse material.
chicago.suntimes.comSPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A federal jury convicted Jeremy Koppenhaver, 46, of Springfield on June 4, 2026, after finding he possessed multiple images of child pornography and used artificial intelligence software to create obscene images of children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri prosecuted the case. Koppenhaver faces a statutory range that includes up to 20 years in prison on the receipt-of-child-pornography count alone, plus additional penalties for the AI-generated obscene material.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both charges after weighing evidence that included digital files recovered from devices in his possession.
The conviction shifts Koppenhaver from pretrial status to the post-verdict sentencing phase. A federal probation officer must now prepare a presentence investigation report that calculates his guidelines range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which treat receipt of child pornography as a serious felony with base offense levels starting at 22 and enhancements for number of images, use of a computer, and material depicting infants or toddlers.
Sentencing will occur on a date set by U.S. District Judge, with mandatory minimums, supervised release of five years to life, and potential restitution to identified victims.
Downstream, the Bureau of Prisons will receive custody if a prison term is imposed. The case also activates Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act requirements that will compel Koppenhaver to register as a sex offender for life upon release.
The conviction stands as the latest federal prosecution to document the intersection of traditional child pornography offenses with generative-AI tools, requiring investigators to trace both downloaded illegal files and AI-produced content back to specific devices and user accounts.
This marks one of the first publicly reported jury trials in the Western District of Missouri that explicitly combined receipt of child pornography with AI-generated obscene images of minors. The Department of Justice has pursued similar cases nationwide as law enforcement agencies adapt forensic techniques to identify AI-assisted production of child sexual abuse material.
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