McCalla Man Charged with Using AI to Make Illegal Image of Child

A Tuscaloosa man has been charged with possession of child sex abuse material after he allegedly used artificial intelligence to create an illegal image of a juvenile.

According to court documents filed Monday, the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force received a tip that 40-year-old Richard Wayne Smalley was in possession of an image depicting a child in a state of nudity.

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WAHTTF agents responded to Smalley's residence in McCalla and searched his phone, where they allegedly confirmed his possession of the illegal image.

Court documents say Smalley appeared to have used artificial intelligence to modify a normal picture of the victim, removing the clothes they wore in the original image.

Smalley was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of possession of child sex abuse material. He was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Captain Phil Simpson, the commander of the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, said this is one of the first cases the unit has seen involving AI-generated images, but the Alabama Child Protection Act of 2024 makes such content illegal.

"Even when these images are created using artificial intelligence, the victim is still being exploited, and it’s something we’re taking very seriously," Simpson said. "We want people to understand that this can and will lead to criminal charges."

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.