New Jersey deputy attorney general charged with using AI to create and distribute child sexual abuse material
A New Jersey deputy attorney general has been charged with allegedly using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material and sharing it online, with investigators also reporting that they found explicit images depicting real children.
Brian Richard Fitzgerald, 51, was arrested Thursday at his home in Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where authorities say they uncovered digital evidence connected to the alleged offenses. His bail was set at $2 million, and he was taken to the Bucks County Correctional Facility, according to Bucks County.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a report on July 10, 2026, involving an illicit image allegedly shared by a Discord user. Investigators examined digital evidence and subscriber records that they said linked the account and its associated internet address to Fitzgerald’s residence.
When police searched the home Thursday, they recovered prompts and scripts that investigators said were used to generate artificial child sexual abuse material with an AI program.
Prosecutors also said chat logs from Discord indicated that Fitzgerald admitted to creating multiple illicit images using artificial intelligence and sharing them with other users. Authorities allege that his activity involved both AI-generated material and explicit images depicting real children.
Fitzgerald serves as a deputy attorney general in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, a role that places him among the state officials responsible for enforcing the law.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said the case would be pursued regardless of Fitzgerald’s professional title, stating that no one is above the law, particularly someone entrusted with upholding it.
Separately, a video circulating online reportedly shows Fitzgerald reciting a well-known speech from the film Taken during what appears to be a phone conversation. In the scene from the 2008 movie, Liam Neeson’s character tells a kidnapper, “I don’t know who you are,” before describing skills he has acquired over a long career.
Fitzgerald faces multiple felony charges related to the alleged possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
He was arraigned Thursday and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing later in October. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
