19-04-2025
Tip from AI image generator leads to Columbus man facing child pornography charges
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Police have arrested a man from the Far East Side on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office took Timothy Newton, 58, into custody after investigators received a tip from Microsoft's Bing Image Creator.
Bing Image Creator, an AI service that makes images similar to what a user provides, recognized child sexual abuse material provided from upload or URL. Detectives confirmed that six such images were uploaded between January 2023 and July 2024.
The cybertip depicted three children. Investigators from Cuyahoga County submitted a subpoena to Charter Communications in 2023, which identified an IP subscriber as Newton, who was listed as living in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood.
Another subpoena was submitted on March 20, and five days later, it was confirmed Newton was the listed subscriber to that IP address for 2 1/2 years. Newton was arrested Wednesday as a residential search warrant was carried out.
Police said Newton admitted to looking at child sexual abuse material on his laptop, which included images of toddlers. He is charged with two counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, second-degree felonies, and was issued a $75,000 bond Thursday in Franklin County Municipal Court.
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