TAMPA, Fla. – A 30-year-old Tampa man is in custody and facing more than 100 felony charges after a cyber tip launched an investigation into AI-generated child pornography.
The investigation began on May 29, 2026, when Tampa Police detectives received a notification from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip flagged apparent images of child pornography that had been uploaded to an online cloud storage account.
During the investigation, detectives discovered images they believed were generated by artificial intelligence. They also uncovered internet search histories on the suspect’s devices that included terms like “AI face swap” and “NSFW (not safe for work) AI face swap.”
Following the initial tip, police arrested Brian Schaaf on June 8, 2026. He was initially charged with two felony counts of creating child pornography.
However, investigators subsequently executed a search warrant, which led to the discovery of additional material. On June 23, 2026, officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Schaaf a second time.
He now faces 100 felony counts of solicitation or possession of child pornography. Additionally, authorities charged him with six felony counts of generating an altered sexual depiction without consent.
“This case is disturbing and incomprehensible,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said. “I am incredibly proud of the detectives whose tireless dedication helped remove this predator from our community and put him behind bars.”
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