Ex-school district employee used AI to create child sexual abuse images: Charges

(FOX 9) - A former school district employee in Minnesota has been federally indicted for taking photos of children and using AI technology to create sexual abuse images, court records claim. 

William Michael Haslach, 30, of Maple Grove, was federally indicted on Tuesday with five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse.

The federal indictment follows Haslach’s January charges in Ramsey County, which include 10 counts of possession of pornographic work involving minors under the age of 14.

Using AI to create CSAM

The allegations:

The Department of Justice said Haslach was employed by the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District as a lunch monitor and traffic guard from August 2021 to January 2025. He also worked as a paraprofessional and a youth summer programs assistant for Stillwater Area Public Schools from 2021 through 2024. 

While working in these roles, Haslach would allegedly take non-explicit photos of children and then use these images to generate morphed and/or AI photos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to the DOJ press release.

Investigators are still working to determine whether Haslach distributed these images, and if so, to what extent. But a DOJ website about the case reads that there are "strong indications that he did."

Haslach is also facing federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, but the DOJ noted that these children were abused by others, and Haslach did not personally have access to these victims. 

Local perspective:

The Minnesota Legislature is tackling a similar "nudification" issue with a bipartisan bill in the Senate. The bill proposes imposing fines on anyone running an app or website which allows someone to access "nudification" technology. As it stands, the punishment for the companies would be at least $500,000 for each violation.

Ramsey County case 

Dig deeper:

Haslach is facing separate charges in Ramsey County for the possession of child pornography. 

According to the criminal complaint, the Maplewood Police Department received a tip in early January about possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM) uploaded to Dropbox. 

After an investigation reportedly linked the IP and email addresses to Haslach, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his home and Dropbox account.

According to the complaint, while executing the search warrant, officers recovered multiple USB drives and devices containing CSAM. While the forensic examination is still ongoing, an initial review identified approximately 800 files.

During the search of the Dropbox account, authorities reportedly found multiple files, including 10 videos for which Haslach is now facing charges. 

Law enforcement took Haslach into custody, and he allegedly told investigators he obtained CSAM through people he met on social media apps and claims he has a "sexual attraction to children," charges read.  

The North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District superintendent Christine Tucci Osorio previously said the district had not received any complaints of allegations regarding Haslach’s conduct toward students. 

Investigation into Haslach continues

What they're saying:

Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. The DOJ requests that if your child has been in close contact with Haslach, and/or you believe Haslach may have been taking a photo of your child, contact the Minnesota’s BCA tipline at 651-793-2465 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has created a website with further information and resources for parents of children who may have been under Haslach’s care, which can be found here. 

"Prosecuting the predators who walk amongst us—in our neighborhoods, our communities, and particularly in our schools—will always be the top priority in the District of Minnesota," acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said in a statement. "My thoughts are with the many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care. Rest assured, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law."  

What's next:

Haslach has appearances scheduled in March for both federal and Ramsey County courts. He remains in custody at Sherburne County Jail. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office states Haslash faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, if convicted on the federal charges.