A Gilmer County grand jury has indicted a man who allegedly used artificial intelligence to make students in ordinary photos appear nude, creating child sex abuse material.
Ronald Richardson, 48, was indicted on 76 counts of sexual exploitation of children Wednesday, April 16, according to a press release from the DeKalb County District Attorney.
The Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office arrested Richardson Jan. 17, after an extensive investigation. He’s remained in custody since his arrest.
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson said they started investigating this case in December 2024, which is believed to be the first AI-generated child pornography case in the state.
The investigation began when a student reported Richardson, a vendor servicing Pepsi machines at Gilmer High School, for alleged inappropriate behavior. She said Richardson asked her to send photos through a social media app.
GCSO accused Richardson of obtaining normal photos of middle and high school students from social media, and some taken while on campus, and then using AI to alter the minors to appear nude.
In February, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office agreed to serve as the prosecutor in this case, at the request of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia.
Richardson will now be scheduled for his initial court appearance on these charges. The District Attorney’s Office stated it can indict him on any additional charges that may come out as the investigation continues.