Two charged in Brooklyn for distributing AI deepfake pornography

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York charged Arturo Hernandez and Cornelius Shannon on Thursday in Brooklyn federal court, alleging they used artificial intelligence to produce and distribute thousands of nonconsensual sexual images and videos of women.

Court filings say Hernandez, who prosecutors identify as a Texas resident, and Shannon, identified as from New Jersey, uploaded more than 470 albums depicting over 140 women. The filings allege the material included images and videos that depicted actresses, singers, political figures and recent high school graduates in explicit sexual acts and that the content drew millions of views after being posted to websites.

According to prosecutors, the images were created by altering real, non-explicit photographs with AI software to produce explicit content. The files were then organized into albums and published online. Investigators allege the defendants knowingly published the material without the subjects’ consent.

The men are charged under the Take It Down Act, a federal law enacted in May 2025 that makes it a crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate imagery, whether authentic or AI-generated. The statute also requires online platforms to remove reported content within 48 hours. If convicted on the federal charges, each defendant faces up to two years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella described the alleged use of digital tools as degrading and violating to victims across the country. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr. called the conduct a “disturbing abuse of technology” that inflicts emotional harm and violates victims’ privacy, dignity and security.

Prosecutors said the cases illustrate how AI tools can be used to manipulate ordinary photographs into explicit images and to spread them widely online. The Department of Justice has pursued other prosecutions under the Take It Down Act since it became law.

In April, James Strahler II of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to federal charges for creating and distributing hundreds of AI-generated sexually explicit images and was the first person convicted under the statute. State governments have also passed laws targeting nonconsensual intimate imagery and AI-generated deepfakes, including measures in California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Civil litigation tied to AI-generated sexual images has increased as well. Prosecutors note separate lawsuits that allege an AI chatbot created sexualized images of minors and adults using real photographs, claims that seek damages and industry reforms.

The cases against Hernandez and Shannon are pending in federal court. Prosecutors will present evidence at trial and must prove the allegations in the filings.