A former school staff in Minnesota's Twin Cities area is being accused of using artificial intelligence technology to create child sexual abuse materials of kids who were under his care.
The suspect, identified as William Michael Haslach, was charged with five counts each of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, as revealed by a United States Attorney's Office federal indictment.
Officials said that Haslach was previously employed as a traffic guard and lunch monitor at the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District. He was working at the school district from August 2021 to January 2025
Creating Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Additionally, the suspect served as a paraprofessional and a youth summer programs assistant for Stillwater Area Public Schools from 2021 through 2024. Court documents revealed that the man took advantage of his closeness with the children to take non-explicit photographs of them, according to CBS News.
However, he then used those innocent images and turned them into ones that featured sexually explicit conduct with the use of AI. The charges against Haslach also noted that he possessed sexual abuse materials of other kids.
The suspect made his first court appearance on Wednesday, where he was ordered by a judge to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing scheduled for next Monday. Investigators believe that Haslach has other victims on top of the ones they currently know about.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said that prosecuting the predators who walk amongst innocent people will always be a top priority in the District of Minnesota. She said, "My thoughts are with the many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care," KSTP reported.
Coordination Between Agencies
Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert of the U.S. Secret Service - Minneapolis Field Office said that every child is entitled to a secure and safe upbringing. He noted that Haslach's case highlights the powerful collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in safeguarding them.
On top of the charges against Haslach, investigators are still trying to determine whether or not the suspect distributed the sexually explicit photographs of the children, and if so, to what extent. A Department of Justice (DOJ) website regarding the case noted that there were "strong indications that he did."
There is a similar "nudification" issue that the Minnesota Legislature is tackling with a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It proposes imposing fines on individuals who run an app or website that allows others to access "nudification" technology, as per Fox9.
