A man entrusted with prosecuting bad guys in New Jersey is accused of being a bad guy himself.
Brian Richard Fitzgerald, a 51-year-old deputy attorney general in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, has been arrested and charged with three felonies in connection with alleged child sexual abuse material.
At least one 'image mentioned in the probable cause was a prepubescent female. That image was actual CSAM, not AI-generated.'
According to a press release from the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, a search warrant was executed at Fitzgerald's home in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, on Thursday after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a tip about a user on the messaging app Discord who had allegedly sent an "illicit image" on July 10.
An investigation into that tip "linked the account and associated internet protocol addresses" to Fitzgerald's residence. Once there, law enforcement discovered "prompts and scripts" that helped create pornographic images of children using artificial intelligence, the press release claimed.
Investigators also determined that Fitzgerald had allegedly engaged in Discord chats under the username "thegentlemanpervert_2160_07833." In these chats, he "admitted to making multiple illicit images using artificial intelligence and sharing them with other users," the press release claimed.
The accusations against Fitzgerald do not involve just images generated by AI. The press release claims that Fitzgerald also received and sent via social media explicit images of "real children."
Manuel Gamiz Jr., director of communications for the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, confirmed to Blaze News that at least one "image mentioned in the probable cause was a prepubescent female. That image was actual CSAM, not AI-generated."
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Citing the probable cause affidavit, Gamiz told Blaze News that the alleged AI-generated CSAM depicted "pubescent females (approx. mid to late teens.)"
Fitzgerald has been charged with three felonies: possession of child sexual abuse material, dissemination of photos or film of child sexual abuse materials, and criminal use of a communication facility. The offense date listed on the court docket is July 10.
Magisterial District Judge Corryn Kronnagel set bail at $2 million with 10% surety. Fitzgerald is scheduled to appear in court again on October 27.
No attorney for Fitzgerald was named on the court documents.
A spokesperson from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said in a statement to Blaze News: "Our office is aware of the charges that have been filed against an employee of the Division of Law. We are cooperating with our partners in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and are taking appropriate action with respect to his employment."
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan stated: "No one is above the law, least of all someone entrusted with upholding it. Our office will pursue these cases aggressively and hold offenders fully accountable, regardless of their profession or title."
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