William Michael Haslach Arrested; Former Twin Cities school employee used AI to create sexual abuse material of children in his care, charges say
Investigators fear there may be more victims after a former school employee in the Twin Cities region was charged with utilizing artificial intelligence to produce sexually explicit photographs of the youngsters in his care.
William Michael Haslach was charged in a federal indictment with five counts of receiving and possessing child pornography, as well as one count of producing an obscene visual representation of child sexual assault, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach was employed as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District. From 2021 to 2024, he also worked for Stillwater Area Public Schools as a youth summer programs assistant and paraprofessional.
Court documents say Haslach would use his access to children to take non-explicit photos of them. He would then use those images and AI to create photos of the children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
William Haslach
Sherburne County Jail
Additionally, charges say Haslach was in possession of sexual abuse materials of other children.
Haslach made his first court appearance on Wednesday, where a judge ordered him to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing next Monday.
Investigators believe there may be other victims. Parents of children who have been in close contact with Haslach or are aware of Haslach taking photos of their children are asked to contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension tipline at 651-793-2465 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.
The charges Haslach is facing carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and, in total, up to life in prison.
In addition to federal charges, Haslach is also facing charges at the state level.
Earlier this week, Minnesota Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, introduced a bill to ban apps and websites that create fake, sexualized images and videos of people. The proposed legislation would also make it easier for victims to file lawsuits.
“I’m horrified, for the children, for their families, for the communities,” state Sen. Erin Maye Quade said. “We shouldn’t be living in a world where anybody can make a video or a picture of us naked, just because we happen to be around them and they took a picture of us.”
Heather Barnhart, one of the nation’s top forensic experts, said, “This is going to get worse, it’s not an isolated incident.”
“We can’t put it away, it is now, the cat’s out of the bag. It’s going to keep happening,” Barnhart added. “It’s a catch-up game, and unfortunately, they need to pick up their pace, because AI is not slowing down.”
In the meantime, Barnhart says to keep your kid’s world small, and ask yourself when you post a photo: who has access to it?
“We just have to fight to have our kids protected and keep protecting the innocent, and learn how to leverage technology,” Barnhart said.