U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg | U.S. Department of Justice
Justin Ryan Culmo, a 40-year-old resident of Oldsmar, Florida, has entered a guilty plea to several serious charges related to child sexual abuse material. The charges include three counts of producing child sexual abuse material, one count of distributing such material, one count of possession, and one count involving the production of AI-generated depictions of minors. He could face life imprisonment in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Court documents reveal that Culmo was involved in producing child sexual abuse imagery involving infants and toddlers. Additionally, he created thousands of images using generative artificial intelligence. In total, authorities found approximately 85,000 images and 845 videos depicting child sexual abuse in his possession, alongside 8,500 AI-generated images.
The investigation into Culmo's activities was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project combines resources from various federal, state, and local agencies to apprehend offenders and rescue victims.
For further information about Project Safe Childhood initiatives and efforts to combat child exploitation crimes across the nation, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
