Risks
AI-generated child sexual abuse material
Sexual images of minors made or altered with AI. They are illegal under US law, should be reported to NCMEC, and should not be kept or forwarded.
- Parents
- Educators and school leaders
- Policymakers and staff
This is general information, not legal advice.
What parents should know
AI-generated child sexual abuse material is illegal. A fake does not make it allowed. If you encounter it, do not open it further, do not store it, and do not send it to anyone to ask if it counts. Report it to NCMEC's CyberTipline. This page does not describe the images or how they are made.
On this page
What is AI-generated CSAM?
Child sexual abuse material is sexual imagery of a minor. Federal law covers visual depictions, and AI-made or AI-edited imagery of this kind is not a loophole. NCMEC's CyberTipline is the US place to report it, including material that was generated or altered. You do not need to be sure of the software used.
This glossary will not explain prompts, tools, or what the images show. Those details help offenders and harm readers. The only actions that belong here are: stop, do not share, report. If a child saw it or was pictured, stay with them and get NCMEC involved. Do not conduct your own review.
Why AI-generated CSAM matters
People hesitate because the image might be generated and they are unsure of the law. Report anyway when a minor is sexualized. NCMEC is built to sort the report. A family inbox is not. Keeping a copy so you can decide later creates a new illegal file on your device.
Schools sometimes want a copy for evidence. Ask law enforcement or NCMEC how they want it preserved. Do not email it to a staff list. Do not show it in a meeting to prove it is serious. The seriousness is the reason not to show it.
How it shows up in practice
- An adult closes the file and files a CyberTipline report instead of forwarding it to a spouse to confirm.
- A school calls its counsel and NCMEC, and does not put the file on a shared drive.
- A child who received a file is supported and is not asked to describe it in detail.
- Nobody searches for examples to use in a safety lesson.
How HeyOtto helps
HeyOtto is not a place to create, test, or store this material. Sexual content involving minors is outside what Otto is for, and a parent can read chats and set topic limits. That is not a detection guarantee and not a reporting tool. If you find this material anywhere, including in a product you thought was safe, stop and report it at report.cybertip.org. Do not paste it into a chat to ask the assistant what to do.
- Do not use any AI tool to see whether a prompt will make an illegal image.
- NCMEC is the report. HeyOtto support is not the CyberTipline.
- If a child is in distress after seeing something, stay with them and use 988 if they are in crisis.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Is a fully fake image still illegal?
Treat sexual imagery of minors as illegal even when AI made it, and report it to NCMEC. Do not keep examples while you look up the statute. This page is general information, not legal advice, and it will not describe the content.
How do I report?
Use NCMEC's CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org. Report what you know about where you saw it. Do not attach it to social media, email, or a school group. If a child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services.
What if a student made one?
Stop the activity, do not destroy evidence in a way that interferes with a report, and contact NCMEC and your school's emergency process. Do not have the class discuss the image. Support the students involved without a viewing.
Can a safety lesson show examples?
No. Teach the rule: it is illegal, you do not create it, you do not forward it, you tell an adult, and adults report to NCMEC. Examples are themselves harmful. NCMEC's public education pages are the place to send families, not a screenshot.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Law entries are reviewed every quarter.
This is general information, not legal advice.