N.J. deputy attorney general charged with creating, sharing child sexual abuse material

­A New Jersey deputy attorney general was arrested Thursday on charges that he used artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material and distributed it on social media, Bucks County authorities announced.

Brian Richard Fitzgerald, 51, of Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, also allegedly obtained and shared sexual abuse material depicting real children, investigators said.

Fitzgerald faces felony charges of possession of child sexual abuse material, dissemination of photos or film of child sexual abuse materials, and criminal use of a communication facility.

“No one is above the law, least of all someone entrusted with upholding it,” said Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan. “Our office will pursue these cases aggressively and hold offenders fully accountable, regardless of their profession or title.”

The investigation began with a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about an illicit image shared by a Discord user on July 10, according to the affidavit of probable cause. Investigators traced the account and associated internet addresses to Fitzgerald’s home.

Bucks County detectives and Lower Makefield police searched the residence Thursday, finding prompts and scripts allegedly used to generate child sexual abuse material with an AI program.

Authorities said Discord chat logs showed Fitzgerald acknowledging that he had created multiple illicit images using artificial intelligence and shared them with other users. Investigators identified his username as thegentlemanpervert_2160_07833.

Fitzgerald was arrested at the home Thursday morning. Magisterial District Judge Corryn L. Kronnagel set bail at $2 million, with a 10 percent payment requirement, and ordered him held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility.

“Our office is aware of the charges that have been filed against an employee of the Division of Law,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.  “We are cooperating with our partners in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and are taking appropriate action with respect to his employment.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.