Utah ICAC commander: caseload surges as platforms and AI drive more CSAM reports

Sete Aule, commander of the Utah Attorney General—s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, said the unit—s workload "has definitely not slowed down" and that the number of cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has grown sharply in the past year.

Aule told host Richard Pyatt that technology companies—including large platforms—have improved reporting and that the volume of reports to NCMEC is one major factor driving the caseload increase. "Those reports from various companies, Facebooks, Googles, YouTube, all these different social media platforms, they are getting a lot better at reporting," Aule said.

On top of increased platform reporting, Aule said the ICAC has seen "an uptick" this year in CSAM tied to artificial intelligence tools and content. "We've seen an increase in those numbers," he said, identifying AI-related material as a distinct driver of new reports to investigators.

Aule and Pyatt framed the increase as national rather than local: when asked, Aule said the problem is happening across the country, not only in Utah. Aule also described outreach and prevention work by the attorney general—s office, noting the office has "a dedicated education specialist who goes out to schools, to churches, communities" to teach online safety and that platforms are "federally mandated to report" exploitation material.

The ICAC commander said the combination of better detection by companies, more analysts on platforms, and public awareness accounts for a large part of the rise in reports, while also acknowledging that technology and individual factors vary by platform and case.

Aule said ICAC remains active in investigations: "we are aggressive. We are persistent in finding those who download, who view CSAM, and we definitely go after them."