Boulder County, Colo. - On January 30, 2026, 72-year-old Daniel H. FAIRCHILD was arrested on an arrest warrant that had been issued for him for 23 counts of sexual exploitation of a child relating to the creation of child sexually exploitative material (CSEM) using online generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. The investigation began after the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about possible sexual exploitation of a child occurring via the online platform “PicsArt.” Pursuant to state and federal laws, PicsArt reported the potential violations to NCMEC after flagging the account and images. Upon learning that the suspect was possibly in the Boulder County area, Colorado ICAC sent the tip to the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab (BCDFL), an ICAC Task Force affiliate, for further investigation.

Through investigation and service of court orders on various electronic service providers (ESPs), an ICAC investigator at the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab identified FAIRCHILD as a suspect. A search warrant was then served at FAIRCHILD’s residence in the 300 block of S. 39th Street in the City of Boulder on January 15, 2026. Further investigation and examination of electronic devices recovered during the search warrant resulted in probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for FAIRCHILD for the charges mentioned above.

FAIRCHILD was booked into the Boulder County Jail upon turning himself in on the arrest warrant with a bond set at $50,000 cash/surety (until seen by a judicial officer) for: 11 counts of violating C.R.S. §18-6-403(3)(b), sexual exploitation of a child—produces sexually exploitative material, a Class 3 Felony; 11 counts of violating C.R.S. §18-6-403(3)(b.5), sexual exploitation of a child—possession of images, a Class 5 Felony; and 1 count of violating C.R.S. §18-6-403(5.5)(a), extraordinary risk crime – under the age of 12, a sentence enhancer.

This investigation is one of the BCDFL’s first full investigations involving the use of generative AI to create contraband material and underscores the growing concerns surrounding potential misuse of this technology. In this particular case, it is alleged that photographs of real human children were altered using generative AI to create nude and sexually exploitative images of them. We are appreciative of PicsArt diligently monitoring the use of their platform and reporting the alleged misuse to authorities in a timely manner.

Agencies who assisted with this investigation include the: Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Boulder Police Department, and Boulder SWAT.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “We are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated team working on these investigations. Unfortunately, this type of conduct occurs in every community, and it is deeply troubling to see individuals exploiting technology to create CSAM-generated images of children. We are fortunate in Boulder County as we have a Digital Forensics Lab and they pursue this criminal conduct because the investigators fully recognize the serious and scary nature of child sexual exploitation cases. This work is a priority for law enforcement and my office.”

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number for this investigation is 25-06109.

About the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab:
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office houses local members of the Colorado ICAC Task Force, comprised of Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab investigators from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Boulder Police Department, and Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to other responsibilities, investigators assigned to the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab are tasked with investigating child sexual exploitation cases and high technology crimes and provide digital forensics expertise and analysis on a wide range of cases.

About ICAC:
The Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is a group of local and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors located in and around the state of Colorado who are trained and dedicated to protecting children online by investigating and prosecuting crimes committed against children, facilitated by the internet, technology, and computer usage. Colorado ICAC is a member of the National ICAC Task Force.

If you suspect a child is being sexually exploited online, you can report it online at NCMEC's CyberTipLine website or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.

As in every criminal case, these charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

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/s/Detective Sergeant Clay Leak, BCDFL

FAIRCHILD booking photo