POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 47-year-old Mulberry man is in custody after Polk County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes detectives discovered artificially generated child pornography on his personal cell phone. Steven Gugel was arrested and charged with eight felonies, including three counts of generating altered sexual depictions without consent and five counts of creating generated child pornography.
The investigation was launched on March 9, 2026, after a woman who regularly monitors Gugel’s phone discovered a series of disturbing folders. According to detectives, the witness stated she checked the device due to her knowledge of Gugel’s history with pornography. Inside the folders, she found images of three girls known to Gugel.
The photos appeared to have been manipulated using AI software to transpose the children’s faces onto the bodies of nude adult women in lewd poses.
During a police interview on March 10, Gugel reportedly admitted to using an artificial intelligence program to alter the images.
Detectives seized the phone for forensic analysis to determine the full extent of the digital content. Following the confession, Gugel was booked into the Polk County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addressed the technology used in the crimes in a statement following the arrest.
“This is a disgusting example for those who think putting the faces of children onto already-existing sexually explicit pornography is harmless and not against the law,” Judd said. “He is facing 8 felonies and will likely not have access to children once his criminal case is resolved.”
The case remains under investigation as forensic experts continue to examine the seized hardware for further evidence.
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