A Charlotte man has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, including images generated using artificial intelligence. The sentence was announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Daniel Joseph Broadway, 54, received a 78-month prison term after being convicted of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso ordered Broadway to serve a lifetime of supervised release, register as a sex offender upon release, pay $17,000 in special assessments, and pay $15,000 in restitution.
“Child sexual abuse material is harmful in all of its forms, and my office has the experience, expertise, and resolve to keep up with the technology as criminals use new methods to exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Using AI to generate harmful imagery of children is illegal and we will aggressively prosecute those who do so.”
Court records show that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in April 2023 about someone uploading CSAM online. The individual was later identified as Broadway. Law enforcement searched his residence in December 2023 and seized nine electronic devices. Forensic analysis found more than 30,000 images and videos of AI-generated CSAM along with over 8,600 images and videos of other CSAM on these devices. Investigators determined that Broadway used an AI platform to create original abusive images involving prepubescent minors and also used the technology to alter existing images.
During sentencing, Judge Orso stated: “Congress has observed that child pornography is a permanent record of a child’s abuse,” adding that “those wounds get ripped back open” each time such content is viewed.
Broadway pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025 to charges related to possession and intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors under age twelve and creating obscene visual representations involving similar victims. He remains in federal custody pending assignment to a federal facility.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Charlotte office together with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006—aimed at combating child exploitation through coordinated efforts between federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies at all levels. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
