Topeka, KS. — A Topeka man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after using artificial intelligence to generate and distribute hundreds of child sexual abuse images.
According to court documents, Jeremy Weber, 47, uploaded photographs of women and children he knew into a public AI platform, which he then used to manipulate and merge the images into pornographic depictions involving minors. Investigators say Weber also combined existing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with faces of adults and minors he knew, creating new exploitative images.
Authorities identified roughly 32 women whose photos were used to produce the AI-generated CSAM and an additional 50–60 women whose likenesses were used without consent in pornographic adult content.
The investigation began after an IT professional noticed suspicious material on Weber’s computer and contacted local law enforcement. A search warrant uncovered an encrypted hard drive labeled “AI Swap,” containing folders named after women, each holding numerous manipulated images.
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said the case highlights “the dark side” of emerging AI tools. “Although the images were ‘fake,’ the harm he inflicted on the victims and the consequences were very real,” Kriegshauser said.
Stephen A. Cyrus, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Kansas City Field Office, said the sentence “reflects the severity of the conduct” and sends a clear message that “the FBI will not flinch to seek justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Topeka Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara L. Walton as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative to combat child exploitation.
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