DeKalb DA to Prosecute Case Against Gilmer County Man for AI Generated Child Porn

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office has been appointed as conflict prosecutor in the case of State v. Ronald Richardson, a Gilmer County resident facing multiple counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Richardson, 48, was arrested on January 17, 2025, following an investigation by the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation began when a student at Gilmer High School reported to a school resource officer that Richardson, a vendor who frequently worked at the school, had asked her to send him pictures through a social media app.

Further investigation revealed that Richardson had allegedly possessed numerous sexually explicit images of minor children, some of which may have been created using artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate existing photos.

Sheriff Nicholson stated, “This is the first case in which artificial intelligence (AI) has factored into an investigation like this for the Gilmer Sheriff’s Office. Unfortunately, I doubt it will be the last.”

Richardson remains in jail.