A Wright City man is facing child pornography charges after allegedly using artificial intelligence technology to create child sexual abuse material.
Preston Howard, of Bridal Spur Court, was charged with the felony July 7. He is scheduled to make a court appearance on July 16, according to online court records.
A Wright City police officer was dispatched to Howard’s residence July 5 after Howard claimed to have had sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy, according to the probable cause statement. During the investigation, child sexual abuse material was allegedly located on Howard’s cellphone, including a picture that depicted a naked 12-year-old boy that came from AI technology. A search warrant was obtained for the device and police reported they tagged four total images identified as child sexual abuse material from Howard’s phone, the probable cause statement shows.
Howard also is facing two additional charges for drunk driving and resisting arrest after driving to the Wright City police station at approximately 1:28 a.m. on July 6. Police said Howard was previously arrested three hours before when he submitted a chemical test of his breath, which revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.224%, the probable cause statement shows. A police officer believed Howard was still intoxicated, but Howard fled from the scene in his vehicle.
Howard allegedly ignored the officer’s emergency lights and sirens and drove approximately one mile until he reached his home. The officer took Howard into custody. A new chemical test was conducted and Howard’s blood alcohol content was 0.171%, police said.
