Man charged with posting AI porn images of NC State students

THAT COULD HELP LEAD TO AN

ARREST OR ARRESTS IN THIS CASE,

YOU'RE ASKED TO CALL THE

SHERIFF'S OFFICE A 23 YEAR-OLD

MAN IS ACCUSED OF POSTING

AI-GENERATED PHOTOS OF NC STATE

STUDENTS.

>> ON A WEBSITE JUST IN THE

LAST FEW DAYS WE HAVE LEARNED

THAT HAYNE BEARD FACES

MISDEMEANOR STALKING CHARGES,

WRAL'S DESTINY. PATTERSON IS

LIVE IN THE WAKE COUNTY JUSTICE

CENTER ASKED AFTER ASKING

AUTHORITIES HERE WHY HE IS NOT

FACING STIFFER CHARGES.

DESTINY.

>> AND WE REPORTED THAT 30

WOMEN CAME FORWARD AFTER THEY

SAY THEIR PHOTOS WERE USED TO

CREATE A HIGHEST IMAGES OF

THEM. AND NOW AFTER ABOUT 7

MONTHS OF INVESTIGATING POLICE

HAVE BROUGHT CHARGES AGAINST

THE SUSPECT NOW FACES

MISDEMEANOR CHARGES. BUT A NEW

LAW ALLOWS PROSECUTORS TO

PURSUE A FELONY.

>> PAYNE BEARD FACES 2

MISDEMEANOR STALKING CHARGES.

COURT DOCUMENTS SAY BEARD

POSTED PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF A

VICTIM IN A COLLECTION OF

COMPUTER GENERATED PORNOGRAPHIC

PHOTOS. WE ARE WAY BEHIND IN

PROTECTING PEOPLE ONLINE

STATES. SENATOR AMY LEA HELPED

CREATE THIS NEW LAW. PEOPLE

WHO BREAK IT COULD FACE A

FELONY FOR A REASON. WHY IN

THIS CASE, SPIRIT IS CHARGED

WITH STALKING AS OPPOSED TO

MORE SERIOUS.

>> CHARGES TAKES A WHILE FOR

THE LEGISLATION TO CATCH UP

IT, YOU KNOW, COVERS CONDUCT

THAT WOULD HAPPEN AFTER

DECEMBER. FIRST WORDS FROM

EARLIER THIS YEAR SAID A WOMAN

FOUND OBSCENE PHOTOS OF HERSELF

AND OTHER STUDENTS ON A ROW.

ME DOT COM, A PORNOGRAPHIC

SITE. 28 SORTIE MEMBERS FOR

TARGETED THE UNIVERSITY TOLD US

THEY WERE FIRST NOTIFIED IN

OCTOBER BEFORE THE LAW WENT

INTO EFFECT.

>> HAD THE INCIDENT HAPPENED

AFTERWARD? THE WAKE COUNTY DA

SAYS BEARDS CHARGES MAY HAVE

BEEN DIFFERENT. THIS WOULD HAVE

BEEN ONE OF THE LAWS THAT WE

WOULD HAVE EVALUATED TO SEE

WHETHER IT APPLIED OR NOT.

CYBERSECURITY EXPERT LISA

PLATEAU, MYERS AS DEEPFAKES ARE

MORE COMMON THAN PEOPLE REALIZE

WAY TOO OFTEN IN 2023 AND

IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION

COMPANY FOUND MORE THAN 95,000

DEEPFAKE VIDEOS ONLINE. 98% OF

THEM WERE BIG TECH BRINGS GREAT

NEW THINGS TO OUR LIVES WITHOUT

SOMETIMES THINKING THROUGH ALL

THE ITERATIONS OF BAD THINGS

THAT PEOPLE CAN DO IT. THAT'S

JUST A PERSON WITH WRAL.

I LOVE BEER TO VOICEMAIL AFTER

HE DIDN'T ANSWER MY CALL.

>> HE HASN'T CALLED ME BACK.

>> IT POSTED HIS $2400 BOND

YESTERDAY. AND I ALSO ASKED NC

STATE POLICE IF THEY WOULD, IF

THEY PLAN TO MAY BRING MORE

CHARGES AGAINST PEOPLE IN

CONNECTION TO THIS INCIDENT.

AND THEY TELL ME THAT THERE

IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL

CHARGES AS THIS INVESTIGATION

CONTINUES. DESTINY. PATTERSON,