TOYAMA (TR) – Police in Toyama Prefecture have arrested a 42-year-old man from Nagano Prefecture accused of peddling AI-generated child pornography on a paid membership website, reports Tulip TV (Apr. 13).
The unnamed suspect faces charges of displaying obscene recorded media.
According to investigators, the suspect utilized generative AI to produce an estimated 40,000 indecent images depicting fictional elementary and middle school-aged girls.
The illicit content was then showcased on an exclusive, members-only adult site managed by the suspect.
The suspect was discovered during a cyber patrol by police, and an investigation led to his arrest. The arrested man has reportedly admitted to the charges. He said, “There is no doubt that I saved and displayed obscene images created using AI.”
The operation proved highly lucrative, drawing roughly 140,000 visits per month. Police believe the suspect pocketed several million yen in sales from the illicit enterprise before authorities intervened.
The arrest marks a landmark case for the Toyama Prefectural Police, being their first-ever crackdown on obscene materials generated by AI.
Authorities are continuing to probe the website’s operations and the full extent of the suspect’s financial gains.
