Bethlehem Man Whose Wife Turned Him in for AI Porn Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

Sept. 16, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Adam Erdman, 35, of Bethlehem pleaded guilty today to “child abuse sex material,” according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.

Holihan said Erdman used Artificial Intelligence to alter photographs of children to make them appear naked. His estranged wife, who was not identified in Holihan’s statement, called the Bethlehem Police Department after she found the images.

“Erdman was charged April 17, 2025 and was one of the first defendants in the Commonwealth charged under a statue banning artificially-generated sexual depictions of a child,” according to Holihan’s press release.

Just one more reason to be wary of the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Erdman faces up to 10 years in prison.

Here’s the statement from District Attorney Holihan:

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
LEHIGH COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Gavin P. Holihan
District Attorney
Sept. 16, 2025
455 WEST HAMILTON STREET
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 18101-1614

District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announces a Bethlehem man pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of AI-generated child sex abuse material.
Adam Erdman, DOB 5/3/1990, pleaded guilty today to one count of Child Sex Abuse Material at a hearing before Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks. The charge Erdman pleaded guilty to today was amended to include all three images that he produced. The remaining charges were withdrawn.
Erdman is scheduled for sentencing and a hearing to determine whether he is a sexually-violent predator at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 15 before Judge Marks. Erdman could face a possible sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison.
Erdman was charged April 17, 2025 and was one of the first defendants in the Commonwealth charged under a statue banning artificially-generated sexual depictions of a child (also known as AI child sexual abuse material).
On March 31, 2025, Bethlehem Police were called by the defendant’s estranged wife whose name will not be released.
She told police she went on Erdman’s computer to access his email and found an email with the subject line “still images.”
She saw three AI-generated nude images of juvenile females.
The investigation revealed that Erdman obtained innocent vacation photos of two children under the age of 18. He then used artificial intelligence photo editing software to alter the images to make the children appear naked. He then saved those altered images on his laptop.
Erdman downloaded the vacation photos from a personal social media site of the victims’ parent. And then used AI software to alter the images.
This case was investigated by Bethlehem Police Detective Stephen Ewald and is prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Sarah K. Heimbach.