35 year old Adam Erdman of Bethlehem pleaded guilty in September to one count of Child Sex Abuse Material. This week, he became the first to be convicted and sentenced under a state ban on artificially-generated sexual depictions of children.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan praised the law, which he says allows authorities to arrest individuals who “use evolving technology to victimize others.”
Erdman was reported by his estranged wife, who allegedly found an email on his account containing three AI-generated nude images of underaged girls. An investigation found that he had obtained innocent photos from social media of two minors and used artificial intelligence software to alter the images so that they appeared naked.
A Lehigh County judge sentenced Erdman this week to between two and ten years in prison. Erdman will be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years after serving time in state prison.
The statute passed the Pennsylvania Senate in November. The legislation was first introduced in 2023, and the final version was championed by Senator Tracy Pennycuick of Berks and Montgomery Counties.
Senate Bill 1050 was a bipartisan effort that builds off of two deepfake bills passed earlier in 2025 and in 2024.
