Ex Twin Cities School Employee Admits to Making Sexually Explicit Images of Kids Using AI

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow)- A former school employee in the Twin Cities has admitted to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create sexually explicit images of students. 

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That’s according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota which announced the guilty plea on Thursday morning. 

A news release said he had “several positions of trust with children.” while employed with two school districts over a four-year period. 

Former Employee of 2 Minnesota School Districts Pleads Guilty In Case Involving AI-Morhed Sexual Photos of Minors

30-year-old William Michael Haslach worked for the Stillwater (ISD 834) and the Maplewood-North St. Paul-School Districts (ISD 622). 

During his employment with ISD 622 he served as a lunchroom monitor and traffic guard. He was a paraprofessional and youth summer program assistant at ISD 834, the news release says. 

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Haslach worked for ISD 622 from 2021-2025 and was employed by ISD 834 from 2021-2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. 

Federal court documents allege that he used his positions with the district to take non-explicit photos of children in his care. He’s accused of using AI to make the photos he had taken into images depicting the students engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

Nearly 700 Doctored Images

Haslach created nearly 700 sexually explicit images using photos of at least 91 minors, the news release says. He also admitted to secretly taking a photo of a child’s genital area while she was wearing a swimsuit. 

As of Thursday, it’s not believed that Haslach has shared the images he made, the news release says. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has launched a website for parents of children who were in Haslach’s care. It includes resources and information about the case. 

Haslach pleaded guilty to to attempted production of child pornography and production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse. His sentencing date has not yet been announced.