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Keith Havener, a 62-year-old man from Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after a disturbing investigation revealed he had created and possessed over 1,000 images of child porn using artificial intelligence technology. The crimes occurred between June 1, 2024, and January 13, 2025, and involved the creation of explicit images of children, including prepubescent minors, using AI to remove clothing from social media photos.
The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip report about a 14-year-old girl’s dating profile offering housecleaning and prostitution services. However, when FBI agents interviewed the girl, she denied creating the ad, and it was discovered that Havener had made the profile. A search warrant was executed at his residence, and officers seized multiple digital devices, including an iPhone, computers, and external storage devices.
Forensic analysis of the devices revealed 1,025 images of child pornography, including some that depicted sadistic and masochistic conduct. Further investigation by the Sioux City Police Department found that Havener had also used AI to create explicit images of his female coworkers and distributed them at work. His employer turned over his work computer, which contained additional child porn images and images of his coworkers.
Havener’s online activities were also scrutinized, and it was discovered that he had created email accounts in the 14-year-old girl’s name and engaged in online conversations with people in a sexual manner. The investigation led to his guilty plea on May 13, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
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