COLUMBUS — An Ohio man who used artificial intelligence to morph images of children into child pornography has learned his sentence.
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35-year-old Austin Pittman of Hilliard was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Monday to 14 years (168 months) in prison for two pornography crimes.
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Pittman admitted to distributing images of real child pornography and using AI to morph videos and photos of real children to whom he had access into images of child pornography.
According to court documents, in January 2025, the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received multiple cyber tipline reports regarding Pittman’s activity on Kik Messenger,
Pittman used the instant messaging app to distribute child pornography depicting an adult sexually abusing a child.
Further investigation revealed that, in 2024, Pittman was the target of an investigation at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he uploaded 47 files of child pornography to Kik.
A search warrant executed at Pittman’s residence in April 2025 led to the seizure of numerous devices.
While reviewing Pittman’s cell phone, law enforcement officials discovered images and videos of real children to whom Pittman had access.
Some of the files Pittman had secretly recorded and created some of the images and videos himself.
Pittman then used AI programs to alter these images so that the minor females depicted in them now appeared fully nude.
He also distributed this content to others on online chat platforms dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Pittman was charged federally and arrested in April 2025, and pleaded guilty in December 2025.
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