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Two Men Charged Under Take It Down Act for Creating AI-Generated Deepfake Images
Federal prosecutors charged Cornelius Shannon and Arturo Hernandez with using artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of women. The arrests mark early enforcement of the Take It Down Act signed last year.
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Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged two men with using artificial intelligence to create and distribute sexually explicit images of women under the Take It Down Act. Cornelius Shannon, 51, of New Jersey, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, of Texas, were arrested Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Shannon published at least 240 albums of AI-generated pornography featuring female politicians, musicians, and singers. Hernandez created images of both celebrities and private individuals, including recent high school graduates.
The men face up to two years in prison under the law signed last year by President Donald Trump. The statute adds penalties for publishing AI-created deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery. U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said the men “used cutting-edge digital technology to create images that degraded and violated” dozens of women.
He added that the case shows posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime. Attorneys for Shannon and Hernandez did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The men do not appear to be connected to each other.
Last month an Ohio man became the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act after pleading guilty to generating child sexual abuse material with AI. In March, two teenage boys in Pennsylvania received probation for creating explicit AI images of classmates.
Earlier this year three teenagers in Tennessee filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging the company’s Grok tools turned their photos into sexually explicit images. The plaintiffs seek class-action status on behalf of thousands of people they say were victimized as minors.
