North Dakota law enforcement seeks more resources to combat AI-generated child exploitation
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation received a record 2,700 online tips about child sexual abuse material in 2025, with many cases involving images created by artificial intelligence. The agency told state lawmakers Wednesday it needs additional funding and technology to investigate the growing problem.
Cassidy Halseth, commander for the North Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said AI has fundamentally changed how child exploitation occurs. "Child exploitation has always existed, but what AI has done is made it faster, easier and more scalable while making it harder for us to detect and investigate," he said.
The scale of the problem
Nationally, more than 1.5 million AI-related child exploitation reports were made in 2025-a 1,300% increase over the previous year, Halseth said.
AI tools are being used to generate explicit images from ordinary photos of minors, impersonate peers and trusted adults, and facilitate sextortion and harassment, he told the interim Protection and Victim Services Committee.
Gaps in current law
Last year, North Dakota lawmakers made possessing AI-generated child sexual abuse material a Class C felony and added enhanced penalties for more serious cases. Halseth said the changes were important but insufficient.
Cases involving AI-generated sexually explicit images of minors sometimes result in little or no jail time. "When that happens, it undermines accountability, it minimizes the harm that is being done to these victims and it sends the wrong message to our offenders," he said.
Greg Kasowski, executive director for Children's Advocacy Centers of North Dakota, said AI-generated images created from ordinary photos should carry the same legal weight as other child sexual abuse material.
What investigators need
Halseth called for state investment in technology, ongoing training on AI, and wellness support for investigators. "We really don't have a strong budget for the equipment we actually need to do a better job in the state of North Dakota," he said.
Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown, chair of the committee, said solving the problem requires the same tools that created it. "One click of the mouse can do the work of somebody working potentially for weeks and do a better job, quicker," he said. "We need to make sure they have those resources."
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, vice chair of the committee, said the BCI lacks sufficient resources to handle the rising caseload and called for meaningful sentencing in these cases regardless of whether content was AI-generated.
The harm to victims
Halseth said AI-generated images cause real trauma. "These images, they can exist forever. They can resurface at any time, can follow victims into schools, careers and even into relationships. This is not temporary damage. It is permanent harm tied to a person's identity."
Education and prevention
Halseth urged more education for parents and communities about how AI works and its dangers. Kasowski said his organization has been invited by multiple schools to conduct training on child sexual abuse, and additional funding could expand that training across most of the state's K-12 schools.
"In rural areas, there's a gap," Kasowski said.
The committee drafted a bill to update definitions and language surrounding child sexual abuse materials and obscenity controls. The bill may be considered by Legislative Management this fall and advanced to the 2027 legislative session.
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