Connect with us

Alaska

JBER soldier makes federal court appearance on charges surrounding AI-generated child sex abuse images

Published

on

JBER soldier makes federal court appearance on charges surrounding AI-generated child sex abuse images


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A 34-year-old Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson soldier made his first appearance in federal court Tuesday after being indicted on multiple federal charges related to child sex abuse materials.

Seth Herrera, a U.S. Army soldier, is accused of using artificial intelligence and AI chatbots to generate pornography depicting minors with whom he was in contact. Some of the children are the same age as a daughter of Herrera’s, court documents show.

On Thursday, a federal grand jury charged Herrera with one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

He was arrested the following day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

Advertisement

If convicted, Herrera faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

After hearing arguments from the prosecution and Herrera’s defense as to whether or not he should be detained during the duration of the trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled in favor of the government, agreeing that Herrera posed a “danger to the community” and displayed a “level of sophistication to navigate the web to hide his footprints and conceal activities.”

While no trial-setting conference happened on Tuesday, a discovery management conference was set for 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2024.

Alaska soldier Seth Herrera.(From State of Alaska)

Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Alaska’s News Source. Herrera’s defense attorney, Ben Muse, said in an emailed statement that he “cannot offer comment at this time.”

According to court documents, Herrera is also accused of viewing images specifically depicting violent sexual abuse of children and infants, which was generated from images and videos of children pulled from various social media pages.

Advertisement

“The misuse of cutting-edge generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of dangerous content,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement, “including child sexual abuse material — so the Department of Justice is accelerating its enforcement efforts. As alleged, the defendant used AI tools to morph images of real kids into horrific child sexual abuse material.”

According to a pre-trial detention document filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, Herrera also saved “surreptitious recordings” of minors undressing in his home.

A forensic review of three of his cell phones revealed tens of thousands of videos and images depicting the violent rape and sexual abuse of children dating back as early as March 2021.

Herrera is said to have used encrypted messaging applications and joined groups known for trafficking child sexual abuse material. According to prosecutors, he then kept the materials in a password-protected app — that was disguised as a calculator on his phone — for the purpose of hiding the files.

In March of this year, the FBI released a public service announcement regarding child sexual abuse material, warning of the legal consequences involved with obtaining and creating such material through AI.

Advertisement

“Federal law prohibits the production, advertisement, transportation, distribution, receipt, sale, access with intent to view, and possession of any CSAM, including realistic computer-generated images,” the FBI stated.

According to a statement released by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Alaska’s News Source, Herrera was a motor vehicle operator with the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 11th Airborne Division. He joined the Army in November 2019 and was previously stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Bliss, Texas; and a base in Korea, before arriving in Alaska in August 2023.

After hearing arguments from the prosecution and Herrera’s defense as to whether or not he should be detained for the duration of the trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled in favor of the government, agreeing that Herrera posed a “danger to the community” and displayed a “level of sophistication to navigate the web to hide his footprints and conceal activities.”

If anyone has information concerning Herrera’s alleged actions, or if you may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Seth Herrera, the Justice Department asks that you contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at (877) 447-4847.

Advertisement



Source link

Alaska

Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska

Published

on

Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Up to a foot of snow has fallen in areas across Southcentral as of Tuesday, with more expected into Wednesday morning.

All sports and after-school activities — except high school basketball and hockey activities — were canceled Tuesday for the Anchorage School District. The decision was made to allow crews to clear school parking lots and manage traffic for snow removal, district officials said.

“These efforts are critical to ensuring schools can safely remain open [Wednesday],” ASD said in a statement.

The Anchorage Police Department’s accident count for the past two days shows there have been 55 car accidents since Monday, as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, there have been 86 vehicles in distress reported by the department.

Advertisement
Snow measuring up to 17 inches deep in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 6, 2026.(Alaska’s News Source)

The snowfall — which has brought up to 13 inches along areas of Turnagain Arm and 12 inches in Wasilla — is expected to continue Tuesday, according to latest forecast models. Numerous winter weather alerts are in effect, and inland areas of Southcentral could see winds up to 25 mph, with coastal areas potentially seeing winds over 45 mph.

Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected...
Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected through the day.(Alaska’s News Source)

Some areas of Southcentral could see more than 20 inches of snowfall by Wednesday, with the Anchorage and Eagle River Hillsides, as well as the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountain, among the areas seeing the most snowfall.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Alaska

Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt

Published

on

Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt


Sen. Rob Yundt

On January 3, 2026, Districts 27 and 28 of the Alaska Republican Party received formal charges against Senator Rob Yundt pursuant to Article VII of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.

According to the Alaska Republican Party Rules: “Any candidate or elected official may be sanctioned or censured for any of the following
reasons:
(a) Failure to follow the Party Platform.
(b) Engagement in any activities prohibited by or contrary to these rules or RNC Rules.
(c) Failure to carry out or perform the duties of their office.
(d) Engaging in prohibited discrimination.
(e) Forming a majority caucus in which non-Republicans are at least 1/3 or more of the
coalition.
(f) Engaging in other activities that may be reasonably assessed as bringing dishonor to
the ARP, such as commission of a serious crime.”

Advertisement

Party Rules require the signatures of at least 3 registered Republican constituents for official charges to be filed. The formal charges were signed by registered Republican voters and District N constitutions Jerad McClure, Thomas W. Oels, Janice M. Norman, and Manda Gershon.

Yundt is charged with “failure to adhere and uphold the Alaska Republican Party Platform” and “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles and priorities of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.” The constituents request: “Senator Rob Yundt be provided proper notice of the charges and a full and fair opportunity to respond; and that, upon a finding by the required two-thirds (2/3) vote of the District Committees that the charges are valid, the Committees impose the maximum sanctions authorized under Article VII.”

If the Party finds Yundt guilty of the charges, Yundt may be disciplined with formal censure by the Alaska Republican Party, declaration of ineligibility for Party endorsement, withdrawal of political support, prohibition from participating in certain Party activities, and official and public declaration that Yundt’s conduct and voting record contradict the Party’s values and priorities.

Reasons for the charges are based on Yundt’s active support of House Bill 57, Senate Bill 113, and Senate Bill 92. Constituents who filed the charges argue that HB 57 opposes the Alaska Republican Party Platform by “expanding government surveillance and dramatically increasing education spending;” that SB 113 opposes the Party’s Platform by “impos[ing] new tax burdens on Alaskan consumers and small businesses;” and that SB 92 opposes the Party by “proposing a targeted 9.2% tax on major private-sector energy producer supplying natural gas to Southcentral Alaska.” Although the filed charges state that SB 92 proposes a 9.2% tax, the bill actually proposes a 9.4% tax on income from oil and gas production and transportation.

Many Alaskan conservatives have expressed frustration with Senator Yundt’s legislative decisions. Some, like Marcy Sowers, consider Yundt more like “a tax-loving social justice warrior” than a conservative.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Alaska

Pilot of Alaska flight that lost door plug over Portland sues Boeing, claims company blamed him

Published

on

Pilot of Alaska flight that lost door plug over Portland sues Boeing, claims company blamed him


The Alaska Airlines captain who piloted the Boeing 737 Max that lost a door plug over Portland two years ago is suing the plane’s manufacturer, alleging that the company has tried to shift blame to him to shield its own negligence.

The $10 million suit — filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday on behalf of captain Brandon Fisher — stems from the dramatic Jan. 5, 2024 mid-air depressurization of Flight 1282, when a door plug in the 26th row flew off six minutes after take off, creating a 2-by-4-foot hole in the plane that forced Fisher and co-pilot Emily Wiprud to perform an emergency landing back at PDX.

None of the 171 passengers or six crew members on board was seriously injured, but some aviation medical experts said that the consequences could have been “catastrophic” had the incident happened at a higher altitude.

Leani Benitez-Cardona, NTSB aerospace engineer, and Matthew Fox, NTSB chief technical advisor for materials, unpacking the door plug Sunday from Alaska Airlines flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, in the materials laboratory at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C.NTSB

Fisher’s lawsuit is the latest in a series filed against Boeing, including dozens from Flight 1282 passengers. It also names Spirit AeroSystems, a subcontractor that worked on the plane.

Advertisement

The lawsuit blames the incident on quality control issues with the door plug. It argues that Boeing caught five misinstalled rivets in the panel, and that Spirit employees painted over the rivets instead of reinstalling them correctly. Boeing inspectors caught the discrepancy again, the complaint alleges, but when employees finally reopened the panel to fix the rivets, they didn’t reattach four bolts that secured the door panel.

The complaint’s allegations that Boeing employees failed to secure the bolts is in line with a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that came to the conclusion that the bolts hadn’t been replaced.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending