Metro Detroit Man Charged After Wife Finds 40K Child Porn Images On Computer: Prosecutor

SOUTH LYON, MI — A metro Detroit man is facing charges after his wife found 40,000 images of child porn on his computer, according to prosecutors.

Austin McCarty, 35, of South Lyon, was charged with three counts each of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and use of a computer to commit a crime.

He faces up to ten years in prison for the child sex material charge and between 10-20 years for the computer crimes, if convicted.

The investigation began in January 2025 when McCarty's wife found a sexual image of a young girl on her husband's computer, according to prosecutors.

Investigators then seized McCarty's devices and went on to find more than 40,000 images of child sexually abusive material during the yearlong forensic examination, according to prosecutors.

McCarty told his wife that he used an AI tool to generate the sexually explicit images of children.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said even if the images were AI-generated, it's still illegal.

"Even as technology changes, the laws against child sexually abusive material remain constant," McDonald said. "It doesn’t matter if images are created with AI or a camera; they represent the abuse of children. We will hold accountable anyone who would harm and sexually exploit children, regardless of the technology they use."