August 19, 2025
AMITY, Ark. — On Friday, August 15, Ethan Tanner Fagan, 33, of Amity, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections following his conviction on 30 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additional sentences include 10 years plus a 15-year suspended imposition of sentence for the production of CSAM and 6 years for promoting obscene material.
“This case highlights the evolving challenges law enforcement faces with technology. Our commitment is unwavering to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who exploit children, whether through traditional means or emerging tools like AI,” said Arkansas State Police (ASP) Sergeant Corwin Battle, Commander of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The sentence follows an investigation conducted by special agents from the ASP ICAC Task Force, with assistance from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on April 27, 2024, after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The investigation uncovered not only possession of illegal CSAM but also disturbing evidence of AI-generated images depicting CSAM and other explicit material. The AI images discovered by ICAC Agents depicted actual, identified children and adults from Clark County and surrounding communities. Additional support was provided by the FBI’s Cleveland field office, which uncovered communications and exchanges of illegal images between Fagan and an individual in Ohio.
“I am grateful for the work of our ARICAC task force and, particularly, Arkansas State Police Special Agent Chris Harper in this case, for his efforts and work in investigating this case. We are fortunate to have great working relationships between our law enforcement agencies in Clark County, and that is crucial to keeping our communities safe,” said Clark County Prosecutor Dan Turner. “Without the expertise and dedication of the task force and their ability to train and track emerging technologies, the prosecution of these types of cases would be nearly impossible. I am encouraged by this result and hope it sends a message that Clark County will not tolerate the abuse of children through CSAM or the use of AI technology to victimize children or adults alike.”