Pulitzer-Winning Cartoonist Darrin Bell Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
Darrin Bell, a celebrated editorial cartoonist, faces allegations of possessing 134 videos of child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated content, under a new California law.
- Darrin Bell, 49, was arrested in Sacramento, California, after an investigation linked him to an account containing 134 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
- Authorities discovered both real and AI-generated CSAM, marking the first arrest under California's new law criminalizing AI-generated child pornography, effective January 1, 2025.
- The investigation began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about 18 uploaded files, leading detectives to Bell's account and home.
- Bell, the first Black artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 2019, is known for his politically charged works featured in major publications like The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
- He is currently held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, January 17, for arraignment.
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