A Minerva man has been arrested and indicted on nine felony charges after investigators discovered approximately 1,500 images depicting child sexual abuse, including many that authorities believe were created using artificial intelligence, according to the Minerva Police Department.
Brandon Lee Amelung was indicted on two second-degree felony charges and seven fourth-degree felony charges following an investigation that began in March, Minerva police Detective Jordan May told Jordan Miller News.
May said the department opened its investigation March 4 after receiving a cybertip that originated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and was forwarded to Minerva police through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The initial cybertip contained 16 images, May said. As investigators continued examining the case, they discovered approximately 1,500 images depicting children ranging in age from infants to teenagers.
May said investigators believe Amelung was using artificial intelligence to create some of the sexually explicit images involving children. Last week, a federal judge ruled that it’s a First Amendment right to possess AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the home.
However, May said investigators determined there were enough images believed to depict actual children, rather than AI-generated material, to support criminal charges.
Amelung was subsequently indicted on nine felony counts, including two second-degree felonies and seven fourth-degree felonies.
He is being held on $150,000 bond.
Amelung is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 16.
The case remains pending.
