Brian Richard Fitzgerald was arrested in Pennsylvania after investigators said they found AI prompts, scripts and online records tied to illegal material.
LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA — A New Jersey deputy attorney general was arrested and charged with three felonies after Pennsylvania investigators alleged he used artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material and distributed illegal images through social media, authorities said.
Brian Richard Fitzgerald, 51, was arrested Oct. 15 at his home in Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors charged him with possession of child sexual abuse material, dissemination of photos or film of child sexual abuse material and criminal use of a communication facility. The charges are allegations, and Fitzgerald is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children forwarded a CyberTip concerning an illicit image file that a Discord user allegedly shared July 10, prosecutors said. Investigators used digital forensic evidence and subscriber information to connect the account and associated internet protocol addresses to Fitzgerald’s Lower Makefield residence.
Bucks County detectives and Lower Makefield Township police searched Fitzgerald’s home Oct. 15. Prosecutors said investigators recovered prompts and scripts they believe were used with an artificial intelligence program to generate child sexual abuse material. Investigators also recovered Discord chat records that authorities said contained admissions about making multiple illegal images with artificial intelligence and sharing them with other users.
Authorities said the investigation was not limited to computer-generated images. The district attorney’s office alleged Fitzgerald also obtained child sexual abuse material depicting real children through another social media platform and shared that material. Officials have not publicly released additional details about the children depicted in the material, and the district attorney’s office did not identify them.
Fitzgerald had worked as a deputy attorney general in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for about 10 years and handled insurance fraud matters, according to reporting based on information from the office and Fitzgerald’s professional background. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office initially said it was aware of the arrest, was cooperating with the Bucks County investigation and was taking action regarding his employment. A spokesperson later said Fitzgerald’s employment had been terminated.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said his office intended to pursue the case regardless of Fitzgerald’s position in law enforcement. “No one is above the law, least of all someone entrusted with upholding it,” Khan said in announcing the charges. He said prosecutors would seek accountability regardless of a defendant’s profession or title.
The case highlights a growing law enforcement concern involving artificial intelligence and child exploitation. Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Joseph Kelly told WPVI that investigators are encountering more cases involving AI-generated material, increasing the number of tips and investigations agencies must examine. The Fitzgerald case also involves allegations concerning material depicting real children, making the investigation broader than the use of artificial intelligence alone.
Fitzgerald was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Corryn L. Kronnagel. Bail was set at $2 million with a 10% requirement, and he was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility, according to prosecutors. Reporting Friday indicated he remained in custody after he was unable to post bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27, according to published reports. The case was investigated by Bucks County Detective Eric Landamia and Lower Makefield Detective Peter Lange. Authorities have not announced a trial date, and the charges remain pending as the case moves through Pennsylvania’s court system.
Author note: Last updated October 18, 2026.