Disney World guest admits taking photos at Florida Park to create illegal AI child abuse content

A large and richly decorated castle with spires, surrounded by lush greenery and a colorful garden with umbrellas, under dark, dramatic clouds in the sky. People walk around the castle and enjoy the park.

Source: Bill Dodd, Flickr

A recent report has revealed horrific behavior at Walt Disney World Resort.

Guests visit the “Most Magical Place on Earth” with the feeling that it is a safe place dedicated to family-friendly entertainment. Often, the most horrifying stories to come out of Disney’s theme parks stem from the behavior of other guests, as is the case in a recent report.

A large, magical castle with blue and gold accents stands majestically under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds. Around the castle are fireworks and at the foot a group of costumed characters interact with spectators. — Credit: Disney

According to ForbesJustin Culmo was arrested in mid-2023 after spending more than a decade as “one of approximately 20 high-priority targets” among global child exploitation investigators. After his arrest, he confessed to allegedly using the AI system Stable Diffusion to create thousands of illegal images of children using photos taken with a GoPro at the Central Florida theme park resort.

In early August, federal agents presented the case to a group of Australian law enforcement officials, and a source later said Forbes with details of the presentation.

A vibrant amusement park ride featuring illuminated, spinning teacups under a roof decorated with colorful, glowing lanterns. The scene is vivid with motion blur as riders enjoy the whimsical, brightly lit atmosphere. — Credit: Disney

A vibrant amusement park ride featuring illuminated, spinning teacups under a roof decorated with colorful, glowing lanterns. The scene is vibrant with motion blur as riders enjoy the whimsical, brightly lit atmosphere. — Credit: Disney

Culmo was charged in Florida with a series of child exploitation crimes, including allegations that he abused his two daughters, secretly filmed minors and distributed child sexual abuse images (CSAM) on the dark web, a part of the internet that is not visible or accessible to search engines.

Culmo, who has pleaded not guilty, now has a jury trial in October. He has not been charged with AI CSAM production, which is also considered a crime under U.S. law.

“This is not only a flagrant violation of privacy, it is a targeted attack on the safety of children in our communities,” said Jim Cole, a former Department of Homeland Security agent who tracked Culmo’s online activities. “This case provides a stark reminder of the ruthless exploitation that AI can enable when used by someone with the intent to cause harm.”

People walk through a busy, colorful theme park area with futuristic decors and rides. Shops and rides line the path and there are several families and individuals to be seen, some with strollers and others taking pictures. The atmosphere is lively and vibrant. — Source: Christian Lambert, Unsplash

Disney has reportedly said that investigators have not contacted the company about Culmo’s alleged activities at the resort, which includes four theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida declined to comment further on the case to Forbes.

This isn’t the first report of Stable Diffusion 1.5 being used to create AI CSAM images. Cole told Forbes that “there are no built-in safeguards. That’s why offenders use it almost exclusively.” He has since founded Onemi-Global Solutions, a consulting firm that helps technology companies and nonprofits with child protection. Stability AI previously told Forbes that it was not responsible for Stable Diffusion 1.5, which was released by AI tool developer Runway.

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