ROCK ISLAND CO., Ill. (KWQC) – A Moline man is facing felony charges in what prosecutors say is the first investigation involving child sexual abuse material allegedly generated entirely by artificial intelligence in Rock Island County.
Bjorn Boydston, 36, is charged with 10 counts of obscene depiction of a purported child under the age of 13.
Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal said her office can prosecute AI-generated material under Illinois law.
“We can still charge it the same as we would actual sex abuse materials of a real child,” Villarreal said.
Illinois has a law specifically addressing images like these. It took effect in January 2025, giving prosecutors a way to pursue cases involving AI-generated sexual depictions that appear to show children.
Investigators traced online accounts to Boydston and seized 17 electronic devices from his home, according to court documents. The documents also detail prompts allegedly used to generate the images, including repeated references to young children.
Villarreal said law enforcement was initially alerted by the AI company allegedly used to create the material.
“The law enforcement was tipped off by the AI company, which this individual allegedly created the AI from,” Villarreal said. “So that is how the tip came through for the Moline Police Department to do more investigation on it.”
Prosecutors said the fact that the images were allegedly generated by AI does not make the material victimless.
“Even though people will say, ‘there’s no victim,’ these types of cases actually, they encourage victimization of children,” Villarreal said. “So just because it’s AI or whether it’s real, the more material that’s out there, the more of a demand there is.”
Sara Rosi, a Illinois sexual abuse supervisor with Family Resources, said the concerns surrounding AI extend beyond images generated entirely from scratch.
“It’s obviously also a concern for young people online,” Rosi said. “If their images that they’re sharing that are authentic are then taken and transferred or transposed in some way to initiate a CSAM image, then that risk is there as well.”
Rosi said Family Resources works with young people in schools to teach online safety and encourage communication with trusted adults.
“We have our prevention team. So they’re in the schools and they’re trying to age appropriately educate our youth on what safety online looks like, what a trusted adult looks like,” Rosi said, adding that keeping lines of communication open is important.
Family Resources urges anyone who comes across suspected child sexual abuse material to report it to local law enforcement.
Villarreal said she expects that prosecutors could encounter more AI-related cases as the technology becomes more widely used.
“There are other counties in Illinois that have seen multiple AI child sex abuse materials and have been charging obscene depiction,” Villarreal said. “So again, this is newer technology that’s out there and more people are learning how to use it. So I do anticipate that we might see more of these.”
A judge denied prosecutors’ request to keep Boydston behind bars. He remains on home detention with GPS monitoring as the case moves forward.
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