Hilliard man used AI to create child porn, shared it on Kik, feds say
A Hilliard man faces federal criminal charges accusing him of producing nude AI-generated images on children.
Austin Pittman, 25, is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography, possessing AI-generated child pornography, and production of AI-generated child pornography on June 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received several tips that a user on the instant messaging app Kik had sent another user suspected child sexual abuse material from June to September 2024, according to court records. The videos appeared to show a child and an adult engaged in sexual activities.
Members of the task force traced the IP address to a duplex on East Beck Street in Columbus' Schumacher Place neighborhood, where Pittman lived, according to court records.
Law enforcement traced activity from the Kik username to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where Pittman had previously been stationed before he was given an "other than honorable discharge" from the U.S. Army, according to court records.
In March 2025, Pittman and his family moved to Hilliard. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his home there and arrested him on April 29.
Pittman told officials he was viewing the child sexual abuse material for "shock value." He said he had a porn addiction and was sending the images and videos to other people in exchange for more porn, according to court records.
Police seized his phone and found 200 more images, including nude images of two minor children he generated using AI and family photos, according to court records.
Pittman remains in the Franklin County Jail awaiting a June 21 court hearing.
The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force includes several area and federal law enforcement agencies, including Columbus and Hilliard police, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio man used AI to create porn shared on Kik, feds say
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