Mississippi Child Welfare Agency Hires Teacher Arrested for AI-Generated Child Porn

Wilson Frederick Jones, a former middle school teacher in Corinth, Mississippi, was charged with producing AI-generated child sexual abuse material featuring likenesses of students, which he allegedly created using a school computer. Despite being fired in November 2024 and arrested shortly after, Jones was hired in February 2025 by the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services (MDCPS), where he was assigned to work with foster children. Jones had requested MDCPS not to contact the Corinth School District during the hiring process, but the agency hired him regardless. The Corinth School District Superintendent, Edward Childress, was charged with hindering prosecution for failing to report Jones' alleged crimes promptly to law enforcement and the Mississippi Department of Education. Families and community members expressed concern and frustration over the delayed reporting of the allegations and the subsequent hiring of Jones by a state child welfare agency. Digital privacy experts noted that AI tools used to generate such illicit images are easily accessible and that most states, including Mississippi, legally treat AI-generated sexual images of minors the same as real photographs due to the similar harm caused.