Austin Teacher Pleads Guilty to AI-Generated Child Abuse Images of His Students
Former Baranoff Elementary Educator Faces 20 Years for Massive CSAM Collection
January 6, 2026 - Fox 7 Austin
CINCINNATI, Oh. — Carl David Innmon, a 51-year-old former fifth-grade teacher at Baranoff Elementary School in the Austin Independent School District (AISD), pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court documents reveal that investigators discovered over 365,000 images of CSAM on devices seized from his home, including material depicting minors under 12 years old. Some of these images were AI-generated, created by manipulating real photographs of students in a classroom setting, with two children positively identified as Innmon's own students. Innmon, who had also worked as a substitute at about 20 other AISD schools, now faces up to 20 years in prison for the possession charge, though he was initially indicted on an additional count of receipt of child pornography, which was not part of the plea.
The investigation began in May 2023 when Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigators conducted an undercover operation targeting torrent and peer-to-peer file-sharing sites used to distribute CSAM. They identified a computer actively sharing such material, including "at least one minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct," according to the affidavit. From December 29, 2024, to January 15, 2025, the computer downloaded 126 files containing CSAM, some showing an infant and two girls between the ages of four and seven in explicit acts. A subpoena linked the IP address to Innmon, leading to surveillance, a search warrant, and his admission to downloading the images. Further analysis uncovered the vast collection on his laptop, phone, and hard drive, including AI-generated images where real student photos were "placed in an AI generator, de-clothing the students" and depicting them in "a lewd exhibition," as described in federal court documents. With help from AISD and AISD Police, DPS agents confirmed the victims' identities.
Innmon's federal sentencing is pending, but Travis County records show he still faces state charges: one first-degree felony for possession of 50 or more images/videos of child pornography, one second-degree felony for possession with intent to promote, and two state jail felonies for possession/promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 14, though it may be affected by the federal proceedings. This case highlights the emerging issue of AI-generated CSAM derived from real images of children, raising concerns about technology's role in child exploitation within educational settings.
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