LOS ANGELES, CA – A Ventura man has been charged with two felony counts after investigators allegedly found artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse material on two hard drives at his home, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Christopher Jon McAulay, 50, of Ventura, is charged with possession of obscene child sexual abuse material and possession of child pornography for commercial consideration, according to a news release dated Oct. 15. Prosecutors say the material was generated with artificial intelligence and depicts young girls.
McAulay made his first court appearance Tuesday, Oct. 13. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and was released on his own recognizance, the DA’s Office said.
An arrest or a criminal charge is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
CyberTips alerted DA investigators
The case began between September and November 2025, when investigators with the District Attorney’s Office were alerted to CyberTips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The tips identified child sexual abuse material uploaded to a social media messaging platform.
The material was uploaded from several different accounts, according to the DA’s Office. Prosecutors have not named the platform.
Accounts allegedly traced to one IP address
According to the DA’s Office, the accounts led back to the same IP address in Ventura County. Investigators then determined that the accounts allegedly belonged to McAulay.
Prosecutors have not said how many accounts were involved or how many CyberTips investigators received.
Search warrant at Ventura home
Investigators served a search warrant at McAulay’s home in Ventura. They allegedly found two hard drives that held AI-generated child sexual abuse material depicting young girls.
The DA’s Office described the material as generated with artificial intelligence. The two felony counts filed against McAulay center on possession of that material.
Not guilty plea and release
At his first court appearance on Oct. 13, McAulay entered a not guilty plea to every count in the case. The court released him on his own recognizance, which means he was not required to post bail.
The charges are allegations that prosecutors must prove in court. McAulay is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted or pleads guilty.
California law covers AI-generated images
The DA’s Office cited Assembly Bill 1831, which expanded California’s child pornography provisions to cover material that is digitally altered or generated with artificial intelligence. Assemblymember Marc Berman authored the bill, and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved it Sept. 29, 2024.
The DA’s Office said the law expanded the state’s definition of child sexual abuse material to explicitly include AI-generated images and videos. Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko co-sponsored the bill, according to the DA’s Office.
Anyone with information is asked to call investigator
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact District Attorney Investigator Randy Haumann at 805-383-4798, according to the DA’s Office.
Early disposition conference set for Dec. 2
McAulay is scheduled to return to court for an early disposition conference on Dec. 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 12 of Ventura County Superior Court.
The case remains pending, and McAulay has pleaded not guilty to both counts.
