Disney Child Star Breaks Down In Tears After Horrific AI Images
With the advancement of technology in recent years, AI has made some truly extraordinary strides in its viability. However, not all of those strides have been made in the positive direction, as AI has been used for countless nefarious purposes as well. Child Disney star Kaylin Hayman “broke down in tears” when she recently learned that her face was used for illegal AI pornographic content.
Just Roll With It
As the young star of the Disney original series Just Roll With It, Hayman isn’t exactly a stranger when it comes to having her face in front of countless eyes. Hayman appeared in 43 episodes of the improv-style children’s comedy series. The show utilized a studio audience to dictate how scenes would play out, based on what they chose.
A Horrible Violation
Hayman was just 12 years old when she last appeared on Just Roll With It in 2021. Despite her being just a child throughout the show’s three-year run, a criminal used the Disney star’s face in a series of horrific AI images. Hayman learned of the heinous crime after she received a call from an FBI investigator.
The investigator told the Disney star that the AI images used her face superimposed on images of adults in pornographic content.
In an interview with Sky News, Hayman describes the ordeal as a violation. “I broke down in tears when I heard,” she said. “It feels like such an invasion of my privacy. It doesn’t feel real that someone I don’t know could see me in such a manner.”
Not Yet Illegal In California
To make matters worse, Hayman wasn’t the only child actor violated in the despicable images. However, it states like California, where Hayman currently lives, using AI images to create child sex abuse images has yet to be designated a crime.
That’s something that Ventura Country District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and his office is attempting to change.
Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly is a part of the team working to change the law. “
This is technology that is so accessible that a middle-schooler is capable of utilizing it in a way that they can traumatize their peers,” she says. “And that’s really concerning because this is so accessible and in the wrong hands, it can cause irreparable damage.”
Hayman’s Abuser Was Caught
Unfortunately for Hayman and other children, their experience is becoming more common. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, cases of doctored pornographic images are increasing.
There were nearly 5,000 reports of sexual exploitation material of children made by generative AI in 2023 alone.
Although the state of California isn’t able to prosecute cases of child abuse AI images, it is a federal crime. In Hayman’s case, the criminal responsible for creating AI images of the Disney star was tracked down.
Authorities arrested the individual in Pennsylvania, just months after Hayman first learned of the crime.
Testifying
In November 2023, Hayman took the stand in federal court to testify against the individual. While speaking to KCLU, Hayman admitted that her experience was certainly “nerve-wracking.” But the former actress says she felt “empowered” to face the person responsible for her violation in court.
The Pennsylvania resident involved in the crimes against Hayman has remained unnamed. They were found guilty of their charges and faced up to 40 years in prison.
