SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County man previously arrested in a joint operation with the U.S. Secret Service is back in custody after investigators say a forensic search of his phone uncovered child pornography, including what the sheriff described as AI-generated images made from a teenage girl’s photo.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar identified the suspect as James Kenneth Rogers II, 46. Salazar said deputies first arrested Rogers in July during a joint operation with the Secret Service. Salazar said Rogers was arrested then for online solicitation of a minor and “as well as a narcotics offense for possession of mushrooms.”
During that July arrest, Salazar said investigators seized Rogers’ cellphone and later searched it forensically with a warrant. “During the last several days, we became aware that that phone contained images of child pornography,” Salazar said.
Salazar said some of the images appeared to be “stock images from possibly other parts of the world” and could have been sent to Rogers. But Salazar said investigators were especially concerned by an image that appeared to depict a young girl they were able to identify as someone “that was was not a member of his family, but an acquaintance of a member of his family.”
Salazar said investigators contacted the girl and determined she was not a victim of physical abuse by Rogers. However, Salazar said the images on the phone involving her appeared to be AI-generated.
“It appears that the the pornography, the pornographic images on his phone of this young lady were eye generated,” Salazar said. “In other words, he took her image. And then through, through. I was able to produce, images and videos that made it look like she was engaged in some sort of sexual activity.”
Asked the girl’s age, Salazar said, “She’s in her teens is all the information I have is that she’s, she’s certainly a child.” He said there has been “no actual, outcry from a victim at this point,” adding that investigators are still trying to determine whether there may be other victims.
Salazar said Rogers was rearrested earlier today by the sheriff’s office organized crime group on a new charge of possession or promotion of child pornography, which he said is a second-degree felony. Salazar said the charge carries a punishment of “2 to 20 years and/or a $10,000 fine.”
Salazar said Rogers had previously bonded out after the July arrest, and that an ankle monitor helped deputies locate him quickly for the new arrest. “That ankle monitor is what allowed us to track him down so easily today,” Salazar said.
Salazar said the sheriff’s office and Secret Service have made about 29 arrests during their joint operations.
Salazar urged anyone with information to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000. He also provided an email tip line, “tips@bear.org,” and said tips can be submitted through the agency’s app.
This is a developing story. We’ll update this article as we learn more.