ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — New Mexico officials are pushing to tighten laws amind increasing use of artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of children.
Attorney General Raul Torrez said current New Mexico law does not clearly cover AI-generated child sexual abuse material. He sees the need to push for new measures to close in the gap.
“This is something that is currently uncovered under New Mexico law,” Torrez said.
New Mexico policymakers push reforms
The proposed legislation follows several cases of exploitation of minors using AI-generated image.
One of the cases involved a New Mexico man over sexual abuse of his students. The police arrested Devin Henderson at Mountain View Christian Academy in Ruidoso. Investigators said the former teacher created lewd images by uploading a photo of a fully clothed child into an app capable of removing her clothing.
Several cases have been documented in the U.S involving individuals who used AI to produce explicit content involving children.
A North Carolina child psychiatrist, for instance, was convicted after using AI to digitally remove clothes from girls in a photo and create explicit images. He was charged for violating federal child pornography law.
Stronger penalties
Torrez is backing a measure proposed by Representative Linda Serato. The proposed measure would require AI platforms to embed digital identifiers in generated images so that law enforcement can trace where the content was created and shared. The bill would also give victims the right to file civil lawsuits.
The proposal will also seek to add a one-year sentence enhancement for felony crimes involving the use of AI. It is the same penalties imposed when firearms are used in crimes.
Torrez said victims were threatened and coerced victims using AI-generated images.
Christine Chandler sponsored another bill to make it a misdemeanor to share sexually explicit AI-generated images of a person without consent. Chandler’s proposal would allow victims to sue.
Chandler said the bill seeks to protect the victims and address breach of privacy.
Torrez, however, acknowledged the need for stronger penalties despite the proposed measures.
‘Wake up call’
He would prefer felony-level punishment for offenses such as revenge porn.
Court records showed multiple cases where the suspects possessed sexually explicit AI-generated images of children. They were only charged under existing child sexual abuse laws and not for the use of AI.
Torrez said the cases point to the urgency for lawmakers to act.
New Mexico policymakers should take these cases as “a wake-up call,” Torres said.