A Montgomery County man is facing charges after allegedly using an artificial intelligence application on his cellphone to create and possess child pornography, authorities said.

Roman Shoffner, 30, was arrested on June 28 and is accused of manipulating a photograph of a 17-year-old girl, altering it to depict her nude body from the neck down. According, to Click2Houston, the Montgomery Co. Precinct 3 Constable’s Office launched an investigation in May after learning about Shoffner's use of the A.I. program. Shoffner's phone was subsequently forensically analyzed by law enforcement, establishing probable cause for his arrest.

Detectives within the Constable's Human Trafficking Unit found that Shoffner had "used an A.I. program on his phone to alter a picture of a 17-year-old girl by removing her clothing." The altered image showed the girl's face while depicting a completely naked body, an action that has brought the digital manipulation of images under scrutiny once again. This incident is part of a troubling trend where individuals utilize advanced technology for exploitative purposes.

The case represents a direct application of Texas House Bill 2700, amended in 2023, to address the growing concern over deepfake technologies and the creation of sexually explicit material using A.I. The bill was specifically tailored to criminalize the production of such content when it involves minors. KHOU reports that the law now clarifies the conduct, constitutes certain criminal offenses involving sexually explicit visual material of a child younger than 18 years of age.