SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — An Aberdeen man has been indicted on seven counts of computer-generated child porn.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says William Webster Bragg, 56, was indicted on Sept. 11 by a Brown County Grand Jury on one count of distributing child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
Bragg was also charged with six counts of possessing child pornography, where each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a mandatory minimum sentence of one year.
The crimes occurred on or about Aug. 13.
The new computer-generated child pornography statute is part of a new South Dakota law that took effect this past July 1. The new statute, proposed by Jackley, makes possession, distribution, and manufacturing of computer-generated child pornography, including those images and videos created using artificial intelligence, a crime.
That includes “deepfake” images or videos of an actual child that have been manipulated to make it look like the child was engaged in prohibited sexual acts.
Bragg’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 15.
