David Tatum.Photo:Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
A North Carolina child psychiatrist has been sentenced to40 years in prison after he was found guilty in May of numerous charges related to child sex abuse images and videos, according to court records and statements from the U.S. Department of Justice.
David Tatum, 41, who practiced in Charlotte, N.C., was sentenced on Wednesday for using artificial intelligence to create explicit images of children in sexual acts, according to astatementfrom the DOJ.
In May, he was found guilty of possession, production as well as transportation of child pornography, three separate charges, according to the statement.
Tatum was in possession of these materials between 2016 and 2021, the statement said, citing evidence presented at trial.
The statement also said trial evidence showed that he made “surreptitious recordings of others.” One such recording was of a patient who had turned 18 less than a week prior to the incident.
He also used an artificial intelligence application to manipulate photos of minors to show them in compromised conditions, said the statement. One photo that was modified came at a school dance; another was one commemorating a child’s first day of school.
Tatum also recorded one of his patients, a minor, from under her skirt while she was in a therapy session with him, court documents say, though his defense attorney, Ryan Ames, claims in an email to PEOPLE that “there was no evidence in the case of any photograph or recording of any kind taken of a minor patient.”
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Lia Bantavani, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina, tells PEOPLE in an email that federal authorities first became aware that Tatum possessed child sex abuse images in September 2021 after a tip from an individual.
Bantavani cautioned the public to be mindful of the content they post on the internet as AI technology becomes more prevalent and accessible.
In the DOJ statement, FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge DeWitt said, “It is horrific to believe anyone would secretly record children undressing and showering for their own sexual gratification. And when the evidence proves that person is a doctor entrusted to help children through difficult mental health situations, it is inconceivable.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
