Aberdeen man becomes first charged under new law banning computer-generated child porn

The Brown County Courthouse is located in Aberdeen and is connected to other county offices, such as the Auditor’s Office and the Brown County Jail. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

A 56-year-old Aberdeen man has become the first person charged under a new South Dakota law that bans computer-generated child pornography.

William Webster Bragg was indicted by a Brown County grand jury on one count of distributing child pornography and six counts of child pornography possession for “crimes that occurred on or about Aug. 13, 2024,” according to a news release from Attorney General Marty Jackley.

NEWS: South Dakota hospital to pay millions to settle kickback schemes

If Bragg is convicted, the distribution charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison; each possession charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years.

Jackley argued last winter for a bill that would criminalize the possession of both computer-generated child porn and sexually explicit “deepfakes,” which are images of real people manipulated into pornography by computer programs.

His bill was later folded into a broader update to the state’s child pornography laws, which became law on July 1. Before the law’s passage, cases involving possession of computer-generated child porn were only prosecuted in federal court, where several cases have appeared over the past few years under a statute rarely used in the state until 2022. The Bragg case, like the federal cases, was investigated by a federal, state and local law enforcement partnership called the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

“This case demonstrates why the Legislature needed to, and did, act to protect children,” Jackley said in a news release. “Computer-generated child pornography, including those images and videos created using artificial intelligence, has become an increasing concern nationwide and in South Dakota.”

Bragg is free on bond and is being monitored by GPS through the 24/7 sobriety program, according to court records. He is set to appear in court on Oct. 15.

His bond conditions also specify that he is only to leave his house for court, is to have no contact with children and cannot use alcohol or marijuana.

NEWS: Florida man has no plans to pull ballot measure after AG opinion