FBI arrests man for AI deepfake porn using his own PayPal and IP address
The FBI arrested 20-year-old Arturo Hernandez for allegedly posting AI-generated sexualized deepfakes of approximately 50 women on porn websites, violating the Take It Down Act (TIDA). Investigators identified him by clicking hashtags like #AI and #Deepfakes, then traced a second account reposting the content to Hernandez's PayPal account and an IP address matching his Apple iCloud login. Victims included political figures, actresses, musicians, and non-public figures such as former high school classmates and an Instagram friend. Hernandez allegedly uploaded 113 albums viewed nearly a million times. He tried to obscure his identity by using the nickname "Ryan" for his Gmail account, but the same alias appeared on his Snapchat. FBI special agent Christopher Powell's affidavit noted that geo-location data and a saved folder on Hernandez's Instagram containing the source image for a deepfake viewed over 36,000 times further linked him to the content.
Key facts
- FBI arrested Arturo Hernandez, 20, under the Take It Down Act (TIDA) for posting AI deepfake porn.
- Investigators found Hernandez by clicking hashtags #AI and #Deepfakes on porn sites.
- A second account reposting the content was linked to Hernandez's PayPal and an IP address matching his iCloud login.
- Hernandez allegedly posted 113 albums viewed nearly a million times, featuring about 50 victims.
- Victims included political figures, actresses, musicians, and non-public individuals like high school classmates.
- Hernandez followed one victim on Instagram and saved the source image used for a deepfake viewed over 36,000 times.
- He used the nickname 'Ryan' on Gmail and Snapchat to hide his identity.
- FBI special agent Christopher Powell authored the affidavit detailing the investigation.
Entities
Institutions
- FBI
- Take It Down Act (TIDA)
- Apple
- PayPal
- Snapchat
- Gmail
Locations
- Texas
- United States