Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Oakland County prosecutors have charged a South Lyon man with multiple county for allegedly having more than 40,000 images of child porn on his computer.

Sheriff's investigators say some of the images discovered during the year-long forensic exam were created with artificial intelligence.

The Sheriff's Office reports 35-year-old Austin McCarty is charged with three counts each of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime.

According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, the case unfolded in January 2025 after McCarty’s wife contacted police and reported finding a sexually inappropriate image of a young girl on his computer.

McCarty allegedly told her that he used an AI tool to generate sexually explicit images of children, and that led to the sheriff’s office seizing his electronic devices and conducting the forensic examination.

“Even as technology changes, the laws against child sexually abusive material remain constant,” Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated in a news release. “It doesn’t matter if images are created with AI or a camera; they represent the abuse of children. We will hold accountable anyone who would harm and sexually exploit children, regardless of the technology they use.”

Aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine. Use of a computer to commit a crime carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.