DEPT. OF JUSTICE NEWS RELEASE
Special Agents from the New Mexico Department of Justice’s (NMDOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force have arrested Richard Gallagher and charged him with 12 felony counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, two of which are second-degree felonies of manufacturing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). In addition to possessing the content, he is accused of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) apps to manipulate images of children, converting clothed photos into nude photos depicting sexual situations. If convicted on all counts, the charges carry a combined penalty of 47 years in prison followed by lifetime registration as a sex offender, probation and parole.
“Today’s arrest should be a powerful warning to predators in our midst who think they can use generative AI to exploit children,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “It should also serve as a wakeup call to policymakers in Santa Fe that New Mexico must update our legal framework to give our people enhanced protection from the unique dangers presented by bad actors who will continue to weaponize this transformative technology.”
In September 2025, the NMDOJ received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding an incident of child sexual abuse material being possessed or transmitted via a specific IP address. The NMDOJ conducted a thorough investigation that included tracking the IP address to a phone number that was found to be connected to several other CyberTips. Agents used this information to obtain a search warrant and identified that the IP address belonged to Richard Gallagher.
The NMDOJ’s investigation uncovered a number of files on the defendant’s electronic devices depicting sexually explicit photos of adults and minors, many of which were digitally edited on the defendant’s phone using artificial intelligence apps that are readily available in mobile device app stores. During an interview, the defendant admitted to taking photos of children off the internet – innocuous photos presumably posted by parents or relatives of the children – and using AI apps to edit them. Investigators are actively working to determine the identity of individuals in the photos and if they have any relationship to Gallagher.
This investigation was brought as a part of the NMDOJ’s ICAC Division, whose mission is to locate, track, and capture internet child sexual predators and internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Division, which is funded by a grant administered by the NMDOJ. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.