As part of an extensive investigation coordinated by the Venice Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Italian State Police have arrested a 52-year-old man from Venice, accused of producing child pornographic images generated through artificial intelligence tools. The investigation — carried out by specialists from Venice’s Cybersecurity Operations Center — began after a report from an international organization dedicated to protecting minors online. Through detailed analysis of online data and advanced digital forensic work, investigators traced several internet connections back to the suspect’s residence. A search warrant authorized by judicial authorities led to the discovery of a sophisticated technological setup used to create artificial child pornographic material. On the man’s devices, police found hundreds of virtual images that, while not depicting real individuals, appeared extremely lifelike and had been produced using complex generative processes. Investigators determined that the suspect had used generative AI models — neural networks trained on vast datasets of real, and in some cases illegal, images — capable of synthesizing new visual content depicting minors in sexually explicit poses. In total, he had produced over 900 AI-generated pornographic images that were nearly indistinguishable from authentic photographs. According to investigators, the case represents “a deeply concerning evolution in cybercrime, where the power of artificial intelligence is being exploited for criminal purposes”.