Pennycuick, Montco DA highlight new law criminalizing AI-generated deepfake child pornography

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick Monday announced recently enacted state legislation to combat AI-generated deepfake child pornography.

“We are sending a very clear message in Pennsylvania, the use of AI to harm others, especially our children, will not be tolerated,” said Pennycuick, R-24th Dist.

Pennycuick shared her remarks alongside Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Pennsylvania Chief Deputy Attorney General of Child Predator Section Angela Sperrazza at the county government office in Norristown.

The legislation closes a loophole in Pennsylvania’s state statutes by explicitly prohibiting the creation and dissemination of AI-generated sexual abuse materials. While the law protects both adults and children, it is specifically aimed at child victims, said Pennycuick.

“Children are the prime targets,” Pennycuick said.

Pennycuick said the new law follows a “troubling rise” in AI-generated sexual images, with increasingly improving accuracy.

“With astonishingly accurate images, this technology can turn photos, such as those from a social media post or high school yearbook, into deeply harmful sexually explicit materials,” said Pennycuick.

Steele said the images have caused immense distress to victims and their families, emphasizing the eternal nature of the internet.

    Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele speaks at the press conference.
 By John Worthington | The Reporter   

“It’s very, very difficult to recover,” said Steele. “Once it’s out there, it’s out there.”

The perpetrators are primarily motivated by harassment and sexual gratification, noted Steele. He cited one case in which an older male compiled an entire collection of AI-generated pornographic images of a child acquaintance.

“It’s been difficult to talk to victims about not having this tool, about not being able to prosecute on this specific activity, because the law had not yet caught up to the technology that’s out there,” said Steele. “But now we’re in a different situation.”

“As technology changes, the way children will be exploited will change,” added Sperrazza. “So we have to change with it so we can continue to protect children.”

Steele concluded the remarks with a stern warning to perpetrators of the newly-enacted crime.

“There are severe consequences for those that are gonna engage in that activity,” said Steele. “Our goal is to hold child predators accountable for their crimes, and this new law has removed a substantial obstacle for us to achieve justice for those families, for the adult victims or the child victims that are out there.”