Schools beef up digital safeguards after AI exploitation case

A 17-year-old from Johnson City is being prosecuted as an adult following the production and distribution of child sexual exploitation material created using artificial intelligence. Local schools responded to the charges, addressing school policies and prevention methods. Christian Zarate is being charged with 28 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (production), two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (distribution), one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, with more than 50 images (possession) and 10 counts of unlawful photography. School Response While the school Zarate attended has not been identified due to privacy protections involving minors, local school officials said the allegations are being treated seriously. Superintendent Erin Slater said in a statement to the Johnson City Press that student safety remains the district's highest priority. "Our top priority is the safety and well-being of every student in our care," Slater said. "Situations involving digital exploitation or unlawful photography are taken extremely seriously and addressed promptly in accordance with district policy and state law, including coordination with local law enforcement when appropriate." Slater said the district also focuses heavily on prevention efforts, reinforcing expectations surrounding responsible technology use among students. "We focus on prevention through digital citizenship education and clear expectations for responsible technology use," she said. "We encourage immediate reporting of concerns, thoroughly investigate all reports and involve law enforcement when warranted." Slater noted that violations involving technology misuse can carry significant disciplinary consequences. "While we cannot discuss specific cases due to student privacy laws, violations may result in significant disciplinary consequences," she said. "We also provide support for any students who are impacted. Maintaining a safe and respectful environment, both in person and online, is essential in our schools." Officials with Washington County Schools also detailed a number of safeguards the district has implemented to monitor and restrict student technology use. Superintendent Jerry Boyd said the district has adopted what he described as a proactive "safety-first" approach that combines technical monitoring systems with board-approved policies. Boyd explained that the district has disabled AI tools on student computer accounts, implemented age-based restrictions and blocked students from using Incognito Mode or installing unauthorized Chrome extensions. According to Boyd, those restrictions are intended to prevent students from accessing outside "AI wrappers" or other tools designed to bypass school filters. He added that student laptops are actively monitored through software which allows educators to view student screens in real time during the school day. The district also uses a specific software to flag content related to self-harm or sexually explicit material. Looking ahead, Boyd said the district plans to expand its monitoring capabilities even further beginning next school year. "Beginning next school year, the district will transition to Gaggle, a premier student safety program," Boyd said, adding that the system uses machine learning to identify and flag potential digital exploitation and non-consensual content before it spreads. Boyd also stressed that student activity conducted on district-managed accounts leaves a permanent digital record, even if users attempt to delete files or messages. He said the district retains deleted emails, chats and Google Drive files through Google Vault, creating what he described as a searchable forensic trail that can later be used for legal discovery. Administrative tools such as GAM also allow staff to track metadata, including when files were created, modified or accessed. Boyd noted that multiple district policies reinforce those technical safeguards, including rules governing student conduct, cyberbullying and artificial intelligence use.He said district policy "specifically prohibits the use of AI for any activity that violates state law, federal law or ethical codes." Still, Boyd acknowledged there are limitations to what schools can control outside district-managed devices and networks. "It is important to distinguish between the open internet and the district's managed digital environment," he said. "While no institution can control private devices or personal data plans, we take exhaustive measures to secure the school's digital property." Boyd said district safeguards are designed to ensure school-issued devices remain focused strictly on educational purposes. "While we are realistic that we cannot control the entirety of the internet, we work diligently to build and sustain a digital fortress around our district-managed accounts and devices," Boyd said. "We remain committed to constantly evolving our safeguards as technology changes, ensuring that Washington County Schools remains a safe environment for every student." Criminal Affidavit According to criminal affidavit records obtained by the Johnson City Press, Zarate was arrested in December 2025. At an April 24 court hearing, Zarate was positioned to be prosecuted as an adult. Officers said in the criminal affidavit that they spoke with the complainant on December 7, 2025, in reference to her daughter who said she was recorded without her knowledge at a Kroger Food Store. According to the affidavit, the victim said she saw Zarate take multiple videos of her buttocks at various angles, which were uploaded to Discord, a social media app. She stated in the affidavit that she found videos of her, alongside other classmates, that were uploaded to Discord. Officers said they discovered that Zarate was using photos and videos of all four victims to make and download Al pornographic videos using the victim's faces. Officers said they spoke with Zarate's father who gave them permission to search his phone. Officers said they located 24 photos Zarate had taken from the females' social media accounts and used an AI app to generate them nude. Two AI-generated photos were also sent to a Discord chat, according to the affidavit. Upon review of the search, the Johnson City Police Department said it located over 50 images which would be classified as child pornography. Specifically, Zarate had 28 Al-generated sexually explicit photos of several female classmates. According to the affidavit, all victims were 17 years old or younger. Based upon the search of the phone, Johnson City Police Department said it also found 24 sexually explicit videos and photos of children that Zarate downloaded from the internet. With respect to the unlawful photography allegations, the Johnson City Police Department said it found a total of 10 close-up videos of two of his classmates' clothed intimate areas that were taken for sexual gratification purposes. Zarate started secretly videotaping the victims in July 2025, according to the affidavit. Court documents say Zarate underwent a mental evaluation in April 2026. The court stated that he was not committable to an institution based on forensic evaluation and the findings of an expert. According to the affidavit, interests of the community require that Zarate be put under further legal restraint or discipline given the serious of the offenses and that rehabilitation in the juvenile court system would not be successful. The court ordered that Zarate can not have access to electronic devices or anything with WiFi and no contact with the victims or anyone under 17, excluding his direct family. He is also expected to stay at home unless in the company of a parent. He was detained at the Upper East Tennessee Juvenile Regional Detention Center until a bond of $20,000 was paid. The Washington County online court records system reports he is out on bond. Zarate will stand trial as an adult on all charges and report to the Washington County Criminal Court on August 7.