Christian school teacher arrested for using AI to create child porn from yearbook photos
A teacher at a Christian school in Florida has been arrested for allegedly taking yearbook photos and using artificial intelligence to create erotic materials and sexually explicit content featuring children.
Steven Houser, 67, of New Port Richey, will face charges for possession of child pornography, according to a statement published by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday.
Deputies began an investigation following an unspecified tip they received about Houser. The investigation uncovered that Houser, who worked as a third-grade science teacher at Beacon Christian Academy in New Port Richey, allegedly possessed two photos and three videos of child pornography.
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Authorities confirmed that the images did not include students at the school.
It was discovered that Houser also had in his possession child erotic material generated using an AI computer program. Houser allegedly confessed to investigators that he took yearbook photos of three students to use for developing content with AI.
Court records reveal that Houser has been charged with five counts of felony possession of child pornography. He was held at the Land O’ Lakes Jail on $100,000 bail for each count. If convicted of committing a felony in the third degree, Houser could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.
The sheriff’s office confirmed there were no reports of any additional victims. Pasco County authorities ask those who think they might know of other victims to contact their tip line at 1-800-706-2488 or visit pascosheriff.com/tips.
Across the nation, AI technology has become more popular, and in some cases, the tools have led to detrimental outcomes.
In another case, an arrest warrant was issued in February 2024 for a teacher at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic School in Louisville, Kentucky, who allegedly used Photoshop to transpose school yearbook pictures onto naked pictures of children and distribute them to other people.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky announced in early February that Jordan Fautz, 39, faced charges of distributing child pornography and distributing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse.
If convicted, Fautz could spend five to 40 years in prison and be subject to a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
