Basketball Coach Arrested in AI Child Exploitation Case
A basketball skills coach in New York is facing some serious charges after he was arrested in connection to AI-generated child porn.
According to news reports, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, in Central New York, arrested 42-year-old Chad R. Snow, of Camillus, back in April after investigators accused him of taking a real photo of a 12-year-old girl he knew and using AI software to create a sexually explicit “deepfake” video by placing her face onto another person’s body.
Prosecutors allege "the manipulated video was stored on his iPhone and used for sexual purposes."
Snow was reportedly again arraigned Wednesday May 6, on a new indictment after the sheriff's office allegedly discovered three additional AI-generated pornographic files involving a minor.
A report from syracuse.com outlines the updated indictment which now reportedly includes multiple felony charges, including three counts each of promoting and possessing a sexual performance by a child, along with obscenity and child endangerment charges.
Prosecutors said the newly discovered material includes both altered images and videos. While officials have not confirmed whether there are additional victims, court records reportedly indicate all three files depict the same child.
Investigators previously stated they also found explicit AI-generated content involving other individuals between the ages of 14 and 30, though no charges have been filed in relation to the adult images.
Snow operated a training business called Snow Basketball Arts and worked as a basketball coach and consultant near Syracuse, New York. Authorities have not said whether any alleged victims were connected to his coaching activities.
According to news reports from Central NY outlets, Snow was charged in 2010 when he was 26, for sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl while he was a physical education teacher in the Morrisville-Eaton School District. He was reportedly charged with one count of misdemeanor forcible touching for the incident.