Austin elementary school teacher used AI to create explicit images of students, principal says
AISD teacher accused of having child pornography
An Austin ISD elementary school teacher used AI to create explicit material using photos of students in his classroom, says the school's principal.
AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin ISD elementary school teacher used AI to create explicit material using photos of students in his classroom, says Baranoff Elementary principal Alex Hassett.
In a letter to families on March 15, Hassett says that 50-year-old Carl David Innmon was arrested this past week on a charge of first-degree felony possession of child pornography, and is now facing additional charges.
Innmon taught fifth grade at Baranoff Elementary in southwest Austin, according to Hassett and the school's website.
What is Carl Innmon charged with?
Carl David Innmon (Texas DPS)
What we know:
According to Hassett, Innmon has been charged with:
- Possession of child pornography (first-degree felony)
- Possession of child pornography with intent to promote (second-degree felony)
- Possession/promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child (state jail felony)
Innmon had posted bond on the initial charge, says Hassett, but was arrested again on March 14.
Innmon was in the Travis County Jail over the weekend, but has since been released, according to jail records. Bond was set at a collective $30,000 for the two new charges. He previously posted $75,000 for the initial charge, which includes the stipulation that he has no contact with minors.
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The $10,000 bond for the lewd visual material charge also came with the stipulation that Innmon has no contact with minors, that he is to stay away from places minors are known to frequent and that he has no access to the Internet.
His next court appearance is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 10.
More charges for Austin ISD teacher
Carl Innmon, a fifth-grade teacher at Baranoff Elementary, is facing two new charges that the school's principal says are stemming from AI-generated materials made from photos of students in his own classroom.
What they're saying:
"I am deeply saddened to share that the latest charges stem from AI-generated materials he created using photos of students within his classroom. DPS and Austin ISD Police are working to identify and inform any families involved. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we do not yet know the extent of students involved," said Hassett in the letter.
The investigation
The backstory:
Court paperwork filed on March 13 says that in May 2023, DPS investigators began an undercover operation to identify people using torrent and peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites to receive and share images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Investigators identified a computer that was actively sharing CSAM and found within the files being shared, there was "at least one minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct," says the affidavit.
From December 29, 2024, to January 15, 2025, the computer downloaded a total of 126 files containing CSAM, including images of nude children being penetrated by adults.
In late February, a subpoena revealed the computer's IP address was registered to Innmon. Investigators then surveilled his home and learned he worked at Baranoff Elementary in early March.
A search warrant was executed on March 11, and Innmon allegedly told investigators he had downloaded images of CSAM. Investigators seized a laptop, Innmon's cell phone and a portable hard drive. More CSAM files were found on the hard drive, and court paperwork said investigators were still analyzing the seized devices.
New charges
What we know:
Court paperwork filed on March 17 says that investigators found over 365,000 known CSAM images on Innmon's devices.
In addition to those images, investigators found "Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated child pornography", and a large quantity of "real images" of children in a classroom. On Innmon's devices, those images were put through an AI generator and the children's clothing was removed.
Two children were identified by investigators and Austin ISD as students at Baranoff Elementary. Investigators also found AI-generated images of the students in "a lewd exhibition".
Reaction to the arrest
Local perspective:
"It’s just incredibly unfortunate that that's going on with school-age kids. It’s just awful," said Tim English, whose daughter attended Baranoff Elementary.
"With everything that we get technology-wise, we get benefits, but we also get detriments as well," said English. "And, unfortunately, those who are looking to prey upon people find it through those methods.
"It is horrific how common this is becoming, that it is spreading," said state Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), vice-chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
Just last week, the Texas Senate passed a bill last week that would make AI-generated CSAM a crime, even if it doesn’t depict a real-life child. SB 20, of which Parker is listed as an author, is now in the hands of the Texas House as of March 13.
"If a reasonable person looks at that image and says ‘yep, that's a child’, then we're able to take action," said Capt. Steven Stone of Texas DPS of SB 20.
What's next:
Austin ISD police are working with the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate this further, said Principal Hassett.
Innmon has also been placed on leave and recommended for termination, pending a vote by the school board.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact AISD police at 512-414-1703.
Hassett says that any family who needs additional support concerning this over Spring Break is encouraged to reach out to Integral Care, which provides 24-hour support for mental health crises, or by appointment, at 512-472-4357.
The school also plans to develop an ongoing plan to support its community with district counseling, crisis and mental health professionals after Spring Break. The school is also consulting with the Center for Child Protection, a nonprofit that supports and serves child abuse victims in Travis County.
FOX 7 Austin reached out to Innmon's attorney, who declined to comment.
The Source: Information in this report comes from a March 15 letter to Baranoff families sent by Principal Alex Hassett, arrest affidavits filed on March 13 and March 17, and Travis County jail and court records.