Authorities have arrested a man after they say he posted artificial intelligence-generated photos of North Carolina State University students on a pornographic site.
Hayne Beard, 23, of Philadelphia, is facing two counts of misdemeanor stalking.
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A warrant states Beard “posted photographic images of a victim in a collection of computer-generated pornographic photos.”
It states Beard knew and should have known that this would cause someone to suffer substantial emotional distress.
Beard posted his $2,400 bond on Sunday.
On Monday, WRAL News left Beard a voicemail. He did not answer the call and did not call back.
WRAL News also asked NC State Police if more people would face charges in connection to the incident. NC State Police said there is the potential for more charges as the investigation continues.
The warrant specifically says the photos had titles listing the women as being in a sorority at NC State.
In February, WRAL News reported on this happening after more than 30 women came forward. At the time, the school's office of Fraternity and Sorority Life said they were supporting students impacted.
WRAL News asked NC State Police to see if they are aware of the new warrant. They said Monday that they have no information to share at this time.
“We are way behind in protecting people online,” said state Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance County.
Galey helped create a new law targeted at people who use artificial intelligence to create sexualized images of others. It took effect in December 2024, and people who break it could face a felony.
WRAL News asked Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman why Beard was charged with stalking instead of more serious charges.
“It takes a while for the legislation to catch up,” Freeman said. “It covers conduct that would happen after Dec. 1.”
Warrants from earlier this year said a woman found obscene photos of herself and other students on the pornographic site EroMe. The warrants state 28 sorority members were targeted.
The university said they were first notified in October 2024, which is before the law went into effect. Had the incident happened afterward, Freeman said Beard’s charges may have been different.
“This would have been one of the laws we would have evaluated if to see whether it applied or not,” Freeman said.
Cybersecurity expert Lisa Plaggemier said deepfakes – digitally manipulated images, videos, or audio that use artificial intelligence – are more common than people realize.
“Big tech brings great new things in our lives without thinking about all the bad things people can do with it,” Plaggemier said.