BROOKLYN, N.Y.
— Federal prosecutors have formally indicted two individuals who allegedly used artificial intelligence to generate and distribute sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of female celebrities, politicians, and private citizens. The sweeping federal charges mark a significant enforcement action under new legislation that seeks to curb the rapid spread of deepfake pornography and online digital abuse.
Cornelius Shannon, 51, of New Jersey, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, of Texas, were identified in criminal papers and arrested on Tuesday for creating sexually obscene AI content that garnered millions of views online.
The two men—who do not appear to be affiliated with each other—are among the first defendants to face federal charges under the “Take It Down Act.” The landmark bill, enacted last year by President Donald Trump with the backing of First Lady Melania Trump, imposes significantly tougher penalties for publishing AI-generated deepfakes and non-consensual “revenge porn.” Under the new law, both men face up to two years in federal prison if convicted.
### I. The Federal Allegations
In a statement detailing the arrests, Joseph Nocella, the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, emphasized the severity of the digital abuse. He noted that the men “used cutting-edge digital technology to create images that degraded and violated” dozens of women.
“This case makes clear that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime,” Nocella added.
According to the criminal complaint:
* **Cornelius Shannon:** Published at least 240 albums consisting of AI-generated pornography that featured female politicians, musicians, and singers.
* **Arturo Hernandez:** Posted deepfakes depicting both high-profile celebrities and private ladies, including recent high school graduates.
### II. A Growing Wave of AI-Related Legal Action
The high-profile charges arrive amid escalating national concern regarding the proliferation of sexualized fakes—sometimes involving minors—created by increasingly advanced and accessible AI algorithms. The federal crackdown aligns with a broader push for accountability across multiple states:
* **Ohio:** Last month, a man became the very first person convicted under the Take It Down Act when he pleaded guilty to utilizing AI to manufacture child sexual assault material.
* **Pennsylvania:** In March, two adolescent lads were placed on probation for creating explicit AI photos of their peers at an exclusive private school.
* **Tennessee:** In a separate civil lawsuit filed earlier this year, three teenagers sued Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging that the company’s Grok AI tools were used to turn their genuine photos into sexually explicit images. The high school students are currently seeking class-action status to represent thousands of other affected minors.
### III. Bipartisan Support and Tech Industry Backing
Last year, President Trump signed the bipartisan Take It Down Act to establish immediate legal consequences for predators weaponizing new technology. The legislation, co-sponsored by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, also garnered critical support from major industry players like Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a prominent tech industry-supported think tank, praised the bill’s passage last month, stating it “is an important step forward that will help people pursue justice when they are victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfake images generated using AI.”
Sen. Klobuchar hailed the law as a “major victory for victims of online abuse,” providing them with explicit legal protections and the tools necessary to have explicit material scrubbed from social media platforms.
“These images can ruin lives and reputations, but now that our bipartisan legislation is becoming law, victims will be able to have this material removed… and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable,” Klobuchar stated, calling it a landmark move toward establishing common-sense rules of the road for social media and AI.
Sen. Cruz echoed the sentiment, issuing a stern warning to tech platforms and bad actors alike: “Predators who weaponize new technology to post this exploitative filth will now rightfully face criminal consequences, and Big Tech will no longer be allowed to turn a blind eye to the spread of this vile material.”
