An indictment was brought against Seth Herrera, a 35-year-old U.S. Army soldier, for charges related to child pornography offenses. This was disclosed by the Justice Department, with the indictment alleging that Herrera attempted sexual exploitation of a child and received files depicting child sexual abuse.
Utilizing encrypted messaging and network applications, Herrera is accused of engaging in the search and download of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over several years, beginning in 2021. Documents from the court reveal that, disturbingly, he is said to have used artificial intelligence chatbots to create CSAM with images of children whom he knew in person. There's an allegation he made surreptitious recordings of these children undressing in his El Paso home.
The charges in Texas follow accusations made in Alaska, where Herrera faced related offenses at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, including the possession, transportation, and receipt of CSAM. These also incorporate computer-generated materials, a new frontier in this kind of criminal activity. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the leading investigative body on this case.
The Justice Department's announcement stated that the prosecution team includes Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory J. Rasmussen of the Western District of Texas.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 to point the spear at the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program combines the efforts of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS to improve the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of offenders in the digital age, and emphasizes the rescue of victims. More information about the initiative can be found at the Department of Justice's official Project Safe Childhood website.
