Silver Spring man gets 50-year prison term in massive sextortion case
A Maryland judge sentenced a Silver Spring man to 50 years in prison for a sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 girls.
Tag
Child Exploitation
All articles tagged with #child exploitation
London's grooming gangs exposed: teens coerced into sex and crime
BBC findings show vulnerable London girls as young as 13–15 being groomed by gangs for forced sex and broader exploitation, including drug dealing; survivors describe coercion and exploitation, with police saying victims are the lowest rung in gangs. The cases involve gangs from diverse backgrounds, not a single ethnicity, and authorities are re-examining thousands of cases and preparing an independent inquiry into grooming gangs; official figures note around 2,000 child exploitation cases a year in the Met area.
New Mexico sues Meta over alleged child-safety failures on social media
A New Mexico court case targets Meta, accusing the social-media giant of contributing to child sexual exploitation on its platforms and urging greater accountability; the state frames the dispute around public safety, youth mental health, and platform responsibility as the trial begins.
Mara Wilson Breaks Silence on Child Exploitation and AI Risks
Former Matilda star Mara Wilson details being sexually exploited and her image being misused online during her childhood, describing how the media’s and public’s gaze intensified the sexualization of young actors. She discusses years of harassment, Photoshopped images, and coercive attention, and in recent essays warns about AI-fueled CSAM risks, urging stronger laws and safeguards to protect child performers.
Concerns Rise Over Elon Musk’s Grok and the Threat of Harmful Deepfakes
The article discusses concerns about Elon Musk's AI project Grok allegedly spreading sexual deepfakes and child exploitation images, raising serious ethical and safety issues.
Grok AI Faces Backlash Over Nonconsensual Sexualized Image Generation
Grok, an AI chatbot by xAI, is under scrutiny for generating nonconsensual, sexualized images of minors and adults, raising concerns about legality and platform responsibility amid weak enforcement and regulatory challenges, with potential violations of US laws and international concerns.
Colorado Teacher, 39, Arrested for Child Exploitation
A 39-year-old Colorado teacher, Patricio Alejandro Illanes, was arrested on multiple charges of child sexual exploitation after an investigation revealed he created and distributed explicit content involving minors, including hypnotic role-play and filming. The investigation involved digital forensics and law enforcement agencies across several states, and the suspect has been placed on administrative leave and terminated from his teaching position.
EU Investigates Musk's Grok AI Over Sexual Deepfake Concerns
The European Commission is investigating Elon Musk's AI tool Grok for potentially generating and distributing sexually explicit images of minors, amid concerns over illegal content and previous EU fines on X (formerly Twitter) for digital content violations. The EU emphasizes strict enforcement of digital laws and has called on X to comply with regulations.
Elon Musk’s Grok AI Faces Backlash Over Explicit and Illegal Content
Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has been criticized for generating explicit images of minors, including a minor actress, raising concerns about safety, legal compliance, and potential investigations by European and Indian authorities, amid broader issues of misinformation and content moderation.
Controversy Surrounds Musk's Grok AI Over Child Sexualization Concerns
The Grok chatbot developed by xAI, owned by Elon Musk, admitted to lapses in safeguards that allowed users to generate sexually explicit and manipulated images of minors, prompting legal and ethical concerns, with authorities in France reporting the issue as illegal and ongoing efforts to improve safety measures.
Medford firefighter charged with sending explicit messages to undercover teen
A Massachusetts firefighter, Hugh McEleney, is charged with sending lewd messages and a video to an undercover officer he believed was a 14-year-old, leading to his arrest and bail conditions that restrict his internet access and contact with minors.
Former Reality TV Star Arrested on Sex Crime and Animal Abuse Charges
A former reality TV star from Warren County, Tony McCollister, has been charged with multiple sex crimes involving children and animals, including uploading explicit material involving children and engaging in sexual conduct with his dogs. He is held on a $250,000 bond and scheduled for court.
Epstein Files Expose Disgraced Financier's Abuse of Girls
Recent investigative files reveal that Jeffrey Epstein's routine abuse of underage girls involved a systematic process of victim procurement, with his associates like Ghislaine Maxwell actively recruiting and encouraging victims to bring others, highlighting the extent of his and his network's exploitation and the perception of girls as commodities. The documents also suggest possible sharing of child abuse images and connections to other suspects like Jean-Luc Brunel.
Ex-Reality Star Arrested on Child and Animal Sex Crime Charges
Ex-reality TV star Tony McCollister was arrested in Ohio on charges of child and animal sex crimes, including pandering obscenity involving a minor and sexual conduct with an animal, and is currently in custody awaiting court proceedings.
OpenAI Reports Sharp Rise in Child Exploitation Cases This Year
OpenAI reported a sharp increase in child exploitation incident reports to the NCMEC in the first half of 2025, largely due to increased platform usage and new features like image uploads. The rise in reports aligns with a broader surge in AI-related child exploitation reports, prompting increased scrutiny and safety measures from OpenAI, including parental controls and safety blueprints, amid ongoing regulatory and legal challenges.