Scammers are mimicking voices and bribing children with fake images, a real-life pedophile hunter warns that AI is too realistic

The rise of super-intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) is already improving everyday life.

By completing tasks more efficiently at the touch of a button, a new era of productivity is here to stay.

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But if this new technology falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be dangerous and life-threatening.

Former Louisville police officer Mike Arterburn spent his 23-year career primarily investigating cybercrimes against children, with a particular focus on tracking down child molesters who targeted children.

In a wide-ranging interview at CrimeCon in Nashville, he told The US Sun about the emotional turmoil that comes with stopping some incredibly sick and twisted online crimes.

However, Arterburn’s discoveries, made during his search for the darkest recesses of the internet, have left him fearful for the future.

“Children are so innocent,” he said. “They don’t deserve what’s happening to them.”

SICK EXPLOITATION

The main concerns about the acceleration of AI in recent years revolve around the ease with which ordinary photos from, for example, social media can be converted into child pornography (CSAM).

While all child pornography is illegal, the rise of convincing fake photos and videos has become a big business.

“It’s a multi-million dollar industry,” Arterburn said.

The rise in child sexual abuse came to light last month when Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was investigated on six charges, including complicity in the organized criminal distribution of sexual images of children.

There is another charge of allowing illegal transactions by an organized gang on an online platform.

INNOCENT VICTIMS

Without realizing it, children sometimes think they are talking to a boy or girl of the same age.

But in reality, they pave the way for sick sextortion groups who try to blackmail them by sending inappropriate images to friends or family in exchange for money.

The US Sun has previously reported on the heartbreaking cases of South Carolina State Representative Brandon Guffey and the Woods family, who both lost their teenage sons to suicide due to the pressure and shame put on them by unscrupulous extortion rings.

The expert says many families have asked him for help, worried that the threats won’t stop despite him paying anonymous extortionists more than $5,000, many of whom are from African gangs such as the Yahoo Boys in Nigeria.

“These guys are scumbags,” he continued. “The best advice I can give parents is to tell their kids that these images are generated by AI when they are threatened. That can sometimes deter the predator.”

Arterburn fears that the new technology could create content that is “almost indistinguishable” from real photos or videos. To make matters worse, it’s easier to create because “you can do it on your phone.”

TWISTED CRIMINALS

The FBI estimates that more than 500,000 predators are online every day searching for prey, many of whom work together by sharing grooming techniques and strategies to avoid detection.

According to Arterburn, a predator’s notebook is available on the dark web, allowing users to carry out illegal, malicious activities that are strictly prohibited in normal Internet usage.

“Some predators even target single parents to gain access to their children,” he complained. “That happened often.”

One-man crusade against online criminals

Mike Arterburn was a police officer for 23 years and spent most of his time fighting online sex predators.

Yet it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that he began ramping up his social media presence, trying to spread the word and help families affected by sick sextortion gangs.

“My son came up to me and said, ‘Dad, look at this,'” he told Fox News. “It was two, maybe 10-year-old girls twerking and wearing almost nothing on TikTok. Their parents have no idea they’re doing this.”

Under the username @purepower34, Mike now has over 3 million followers. His posts cover a wide range of topics, from home security to how best to avoid the pitfalls of falling victim to sick web predators.

Another worrying new trend that experts like Arterburn are identifying is voice mimicry using AI.

The online gangs don’t just need to hear a few words from a short voicemail message to create a new, longer dialogue with which they can lure family members into paying the ransom.

They also target elderly relatives, who get the impression that their loved ones are in trouble and need money to bail them out.

Pretending that someone is in hospital or prison and needs immediate help is also a common occurrence among specialists desperately trying to stop this worrying trend.

Parents need to stay informed and be proactive.

Former police officer Mike Arterburn

According to Arterburn, one of the biggest problems is that technological advances are outpacing laws protecting minors.

“Ideally, laws should catch up with technology to address these new forms of exploitation,” he said. “Some states have laws that do not recognize AI-generated CSAM as illegal, which is problematic. We need legislators who understand this technology and can legislate appropriately.”

LEGAL ISSUES

Moreover, this has become a very modern problem, meaning older lawmakers “may not be able to fully grasp the impact of the technology,” the expert said.

“It is challenging to create laws that address issues like AI-driven exploitation as the technology evolves so quickly,” he added.

Arteburn does everything it can to keep families up to date with the latest trends and tricks.

His informational TikTok channel, which he started during the pandemic after his 10-year-old son pointed out inappropriate content, has more than 3 million followers, and his Instagram account is also approaching seven figures in revenue.

He strives to help people stay safe in ever-changing and often dangerous times.

“The technology continues to evolve, and our responses and laws often lag behind,” Arterburn acknowledged. “The key is to stay informed and proactive to protect children and families from these evolving threats.”

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