Montgomery County Deputies Make Arrest Under New Texas AI Child Pornography Law

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has made a significant arrest using a recently enacted state law, charging 66-year-old Roger Wayne McConnell of Magnolia, TX, with the production of child pornography created through artificial intelligence (A.I.).

This arrest marks one of the first known applications of the new statute, highlighting the commitment of MCSO to adapting to new technologies used by offenders.

Details of the Offense and New Law

The investigation revealed that McConnell used an A.I. platform to generate sexually explicit images depicting a minor. Evidence was recovered from multiple digital devices, and McConnell admitted to creating and altering the A.I.-generated content.

McConnell was taken into custody and charged with Possession of Child Pornography under Texas Penal Code §43.26.

The charge directly relates to Texas Senate Bill 20 (SB 20), which was passed earlier this year and expanded the definition of child pornography. The law makes it a felony offense for the possession or promotion of obscene visual material that appears to depict a child younger than 18, regardless of whether the depiction is of:

“…an actual child, a cartoon, an animation, or an image created using A.I. or other computer software.”

MCSO stated that this case underscores their commitment to utilizing all available legal tools to protect children. Roger McConnell remains in the Montgomery County jail at this time.