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SANTA CLARA, Washington County – The Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department reportedly discovered that a St. George man possessed child sexual abuse images generated by artificial intelligence, resulting in the launch of a federal investigation.
The investigation opened Nov. 11, 2024, when officers responded to a "report of lewdness" at a Santa Clara residence, Santa Clara-Ivins Police Sgt. Nick Tobler wrote in a press release. During their investigation, officers say they came to believe that 47-year-old Jared Marsh had recorded a nude person without their consent. Marsh was arrested and taken to the Purgatory Correctional Facility.
Afterward, investigators obtained a search warrant for Marsh's cellphone, where they found "multiple altered photographs using artificial intelligence technology to depict juveniles in a nude state," Tobler wrote.
Investigators obtained a second search warrant for Marsh's St. George residence. Once there, they reportedly seized electronics containing "additional AI-generated images of juveniles in the nude."
