17-Year-Old Tennessee Boy Allegedly Used AI To Create 28 Pornographic Images of Girls in His…
A 17-year-old in Tennessee allegedly used AI to create sexually explicit images of his female classmates, posting them online and facing multiple charges as an adult.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- Girls in Christian Zarate's class
In May 2026, a 17-year-old Tennessee boy, Christian Zarate, was charged as an adult with multiple counts related to child pornography involving AI-generated images of girls in his class. The case highlights the potential for misuse of AI in creating harmful content.
What happened
Zarate allegedly stole images of his female classmates from social media and used them to create sexually explicit AI-generated images. Twenty-eight of these images depicted girls from his class. He then posted these images in an online chatroom. Investigators also found additional sexually explicit videos and pictures of children, though it is not clear if these were AI-generated. He faces charges including especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and unlawful photography.