MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Corinth School District employee was arrested for using artificial intelligence to create fake pornographic videos of students, according to the Corinth Police Department.
The police department shared a post by the Daily Corinthian newspaper on Wednesday morning stating that Wilson Frederick Jones, 30, had been charged with using AI to create videos depicting students engaging in sexually explicit activity.
A Federal complaint states that the Corinth Middle School Principal received an alert on November 19, 2024, regarding illicit content being downloaded or shared from Jones’ computer.
Investigators allegedly found three videos depicting Corinth students engaging in “inappropriate” behavior including kissing and “exposing themselves.”
The complaint also states that when meeting with investigators, Jones admitted to creating videos using AI, but he claimed they were not sexual. He said he got the photos from social media, and acknowledged that one of the photos used was of a local student.
Jones resigned from his position at the school on November 21, 2024, just one day after speaking with investigators.
Reports say eight underage victims between the ages of 14 and 16 were identified, all of which were students in the Corinth School District.
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Jones was charged in federal court with production of a morphed image of child pornography and possession of a morphed image of child pornography, said Corinth Police Chief Landon Tucker.
Reports say the students did not engage in the activity depicted in the AI images, and they were unaware that their pictures were being used to produce such material.
The Corinth School District made the following statement:
The Corinth School District internet filtering system alerted district administration of inappropriate activity on a teacher‘s computer. The District investigated the complaint, took action, and reported the matter, as required, to the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Misconduct.
Since this relates to the employment of a former school district employee and is subject to a current law enforcement investigation, the District cannot offer any additional comment at this time. The District has cooperated and will continue to cooperate with any law enforcement request for assistance.
