Perpetrators Struggle to Grasp Morality in AI-Enabled Child Sexual Exploitation

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF), a charity that assists individuals concerned about their own thoughts or behavior, has noticed a growing number of callers who feel perplexed about the ethical implications of viewing AI child abuse imagery. The charity is cautioning that producing or accessing such images is still illegal, even if the children depicted are not real. One caller, going by the name Neil, sought the helpline's assistance after being arrested for creating AI images. Neil, a 43-year-old IT worker, denied having any sexual attraction to children and claimed that he was merely fascinated by the technology. However, the LFF reminded him that his actions were illegal, regardless of the authenticity of the children in the images. Similar cases of confusion have been reported by the charity. Another caller reached out to the helpline after discovering that her partner had viewed indecent AI images of children. Although her partner argued that the images were not serious because they were not real, he has since sought help. A teacher also sought advice from the charity because her partner viewed potentially illegal images, but both were uncertain of their legality. The LFF is concerned that some individuals are viewing AI images under the mistaken belief that they are not illegal or morally wrong because they do not involve real children. It warns against this misconception and emphasizes that engaging with such material encourages deviant fantasies and increases the likelihood of harming children. Additionally, the charity noted that AI abuse images may be wrongly labeled or advertised, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and AI-generated content. The number of callers mentioning AI images as a factor in their offenses remains low but is on the rise. The foundation calls for society to recognize the problem and urges lawmakers to address the ease with which child sexual abuse material is created and disseminated online. While the charity did not disclose specific sites, an AI art website has been accused of permitting users to share sexual and graphic images of underage models. The LFF also warned that young people are unintentionally creating child sexual abuse material without understanding the gravity of their actions. For instance, a caller expressed concern about their 12-year-old son who used an AI app to generate inappropriate pictures of friends and subsequently searched for terms like "naked teen" online. Recent criminal cases in Spain and the US have targeted young boys who used apps to create explicit images of their schoolmates. In the UK, the head of the National Crime Agency has voiced the need for stricter sentences for individuals possessing child abuse imagery and highlighted the significance of AI abuse imagery in increasing the risk of offenders victimizing children directly.