Metro Nashville police say they arrested 47-year-old Jerry A. Dubose II at his Bellevue home on Monday, accusing him of using Grok, xAI’s image-generation tool, to create and post sexualized images of children to an account labeled “Jerry Dub.” Investigators allege the images were posted between September 2025 and March 2026. Dubose is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and is being held on a $25,000 bond.
According to WSMV, Metro Nashville police cyber detectives traced more than 40 sexual images of “infant-aged” girls to the “Jerry Dub” account and executed a search warrant at a Bellevue residence on April 20. The arrest affidavit states that detectives matched the bedroom and bathroom seen in some of the posted images to rooms inside the home. WSMV also reports that Dubose was convicted in 2000 of indecent exposure involving two female victims, ages 10 and 4.
As reported by WKRN, the investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent in tips flagging the xAI account. MNPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit then used account metadata to confirm a phone number and originating address before serving the warrant. Detectives say Dubose was taken into custody at the residence when officers carried out the search.
Grok Under Scrutiny
The arrest lands at a time when Grok is already facing heavy criticism for enabling nonconsensual, sexualized imagery, including allegations that the tool has produced images of minors. Three Tennessee plaintiffs recently filed a federal lawsuit alleging Grok was used to create explicit images of them as minors, according to the AP. Regulators in Europe and other regions have also opened probes into Grok’s image tools.
What This Means in Tennessee
State lawmakers passed a law last year aimed specifically at AI-generated child sexual abuse material. WSMV reported that the measure makes possession of tools used to create AI child porn a felony and increases penalties for production and distribution. While Dubose currently faces a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, prosecutors may review seized devices and the arrest affidavit before deciding whether to pursue additional counts.
Next Steps
Dubose’s case will move through the county court system, where dockets and future filings will show whether prosecutors add or change charges. The affidavit and digital evidence recovered in the search remain central to the investigation, and additional details are expected to surface through official court records and statements.
