BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Bethlehem man was sentenced Monday after becoming the first person convicted under a Pennsylvania law that makes it a crime to possess AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
Adam Erdman, 35, pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession of materials depicting child sexual abuse. He appeared Monday before Lehigh County Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks and was sentenced to 28 months to 10 years in state prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his sentence.
The case was prosecuted under Act 125 of 2024, a law passed last year that bans the nonconsensual dissemination of AI-generated “deepfake” sexual images and expands penalties to include child sexual abuse material created using artificial intelligence. The legislation was first introduced in 2023 by then-state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and later championed by state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick in 2024.
According to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, Erdman downloaded photos of children taken from a parent’s social media account and used artificial intelligence photo-editing software to make the children appear nude. He saved three altered images on his computer.
The images were discovered by Erdman’s estranged wife, who contacted police on March 31. Erdman was charged on April 17 and later entered a guilty plea.
“He is in counseling. He wants to apologize to the victims and the community,” defense attorney Michael Ira Stump said following the plea. “He regrets creating the images with artificial intelligence. He accepts full responsibility.”
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said the case demonstrates why Act 125 was necessary.
“Before this law was passed, the use of AI to create child sexual abuse material went unpunished,” Holihan said. “Prosecutors like me need legislation like this to arrest and convict the criminals who use evolving technologies to victimize others.”
Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, praised the use of the law and thanked Sen. Pennycuick, Holihan and local law enforcement.
“As technology evolves, abusers deploy new tools to harass, violate, and extort their victims,” Mackenzie said. “As lawmakers, we have a duty to keep up with the changing tactics of abusers and ensure that victims have the necessary protection under the law.”
Holihan said he hopes the law will eventually expand to include protection for more parties beyond minors.
Pennycuick, chair of the state Senate Communications and Technology Committee, said Act 125 was aimed at curbing the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to create realistic sexual images involving children and nonconsenting adults.
“Unfortunately, AI technology can be used for good or evil,” Pennycuick said. “I’m grateful law enforcement now has the tools they need to bring these depraved individuals to justice.”
Isabel Hope is a journalist and website designer based in Bethlehem, PA. She graduated with a degree in journalism from The University of Alabama in 2022, where she served as News Editor of the student newspaper. Isabel has lived in the Lehigh Valley for three years and is passionate about reporting for the communities she now calls home.