It is scary what can happen when technology is used nefariously. In May 2023, David Tatum, a 41-year-old child psychiatrist in Charlotte, North Carolina, was found guilty on multiple charges pertaining to child pornography. He created some of the images he possessed using artificial intelligence.
Tatum was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his crimes, after which he will be let out for 30 years of supervised release. He will also pay a still undecided monetary amount of restitution in addition to $99,000 in fees.
US Attorney Dena J. King's office wrote a press release about Tatum’s conviction. She began: "As a child psychiatrist, Tatum knew the damaging, long-lasting impact sexual exploitation has on the well-being of victimized children. Regardless, he engaged in the depraved practice of using secret recordings of his victims to create illicit images and videos of them."
It is clear King was impacted by Tatum’s horrific crimes. "Tatum also misused artificial intelligence in the worst possible way: to victimize children. Today’s 40-year sentence underscores our efforts to do all we can to bring justice to child victims. As the field of artificial intelligence advances, my office is committed to prosecuting predators who seek to exploit this technology to inflict harm on children,” she concluded. Her team will continue to work to protect the most vulnerable.
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The FBI began investigating Tatum in 2021 after receiving a tip. He was found to be in possession of child pornography from 2016 to 2021. His trail revealed and proved more unsettling truths.
Tatum filmed several of his patients without their knowledge or consent. One was undressing and in the shower. He also filmed under a client’s skirt during therapy.
Tatum also created child pornography. He did this by taking school or dance photos and using artificial intelligence to "remove" clothing items. It is an unthinkable use of the technology.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
