According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina, a child psychiatrist in Charlotte, North Carolina, utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to generate child pornography and surreptitiously filmed his 15-year-old cousin while she was showering.
The AI-generated images were created by 41-year-old David Tatum by merging pictures of former girlfriends with online images that had a romantic undertone. Prosecutors revealed that Tatum digitally altered photos from a school dance and a back-to-school event to render them sexually suggestive.
Tatum sifted through over 1,000 records of child pornographic material, all labeled with the term “PTHC,” an abbreviation for “pre-teen hard core.”
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David Tatum, depicted here, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for employing artificial intelligence (AI) to create child pornography and for clandestinely recording his 15-year-old cousin while she showered in Mecklenburg County.
As per court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, he engaged in illicit activities involving minors between 2016 and 2021.
Even at a family vacation residence in Maine, the offender covertly filmed his 15-year-old cousin undressing in the bathroom before showering.
The court records indicate that Tatum secretly monitored other family members, including more teenagers, undressing and showering in the bathroom.
Trial evidence suggests that Tatum clandestinely recorded other individuals, including a person who had recently turned 18, in a similar manner.
In May, Tatum was convicted on three charges: one count of producing child pornography, one count of its transportation, and one count of possession. His sentence, for sexually exploiting a minor and using AI to create pornographic images of minors, will be followed by 30 years of supervised release.
On a sunny day, Charlotte, North Carolina, is visible from above, showcasing its roads, sky, and Bank of America Stadium. David Tatum practiced child psychiatry in North Carolina and has been handed a 40-year prison term. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/UCG)
Furthermore, Tatum was mandated to pay a special assessment of \(99 and an additional \)100 per count of conviction.
Following his release from prison, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of North Carolina, Tatum must register with the Sexual Offender Registry Board in every state or jurisdiction where he resides or works.
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According to John King, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Tatum’s offenses were particularly egregious considering his profession as a child psychiatrist.
King stated, “Tatum was well aware of the lasting and harmful impact of sexual abuse on vulnerable children.” Yet, he engaged in the reprehensible act of illicitly capturing images and videos of his victims by recording them covertly.
King asserted that Tatum exploited children using artificial intelligence.
The 40-year sentence underscores our commitment to ensuring justice for child victims. My office is dedicated to prosecuting predators who exploit evolving technologies like artificial intelligence to harm children.
An image of a dentist using a computer and AI. Child psychiatrist David Tatum has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for utilizing artificial intelligence to produce child pornography. (iStock)
Robert DeWitt, a Special Agent in charge of the FBI in North Carolina, echoed King’s sentiments.
DeWitt expressed, “It is appalling to think that an individual would clandestinely film children bathing and changing for their own gratification.”
It is particularly disturbing when the perpetrator is a medical professional entrusted with aiding children facing mental health challenges. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to apprehending individuals like Tatum for a significant duration.
