COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal jury has convicted a southern Ohio man of child pornography crimes that included both real videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers and photorealistic images of child sexual abuse generated by artificial intelligence.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, was found guilty Thursday on all four counts of receiving and possessing child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The trial began Feb. 2 in U.S. District Court before Judge Michael H. Watson.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. Prosecutors said he also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to generate photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, bestiality, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Following a prior conviction for a state child pornography offense, the defendant continued to demonstrate his depravity through his possession and trafficking of images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of both real and photorealistic AI-generated infants and toddlers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, whether real or AI-generated, causes real harm to real children. As demonstrated by today’s verdict, the Department of Justice will continue to use all available tools to prosecute offenders who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
Prater, who has a previous state conviction for child pornography, faces sentencing at a later date. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.