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The complaint links fake accounts and payment requests to the defendant. An attorney says public distribution is key, while raising questions about the statute’s durability.
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The charges center on alleged public posting of synthetic intimate images of an identifiable person, the conduct Wisconsin’s Act 34 specifically criminalizes. Because FOX6 describes this as one of the state’s first prosecutions under the law, the case may offer an early indication of how the statute is applied; attorney LaVoy has also raised the possibility of future legal challenges, not a court ruling against the law. Preuss’s initial appearance is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
The complaint alleges Preuss used four fake social accounts, starting in August 2025, to impersonate his ex-girlfriend and post AI-manipulated images.
Some posts allegedly solicited money for the images, and investigators traced a payment phone number to Preuss.
The complaint says Preuss admitted creating the images and told investigators he did so for sexual gratification.
Tristan Preuss allegedly told police there was “no ill intent” behind AI-generated nude images of his ex-girlfriend. But prosecutors accuse the Kenosha County man of posting the material through fake social accounts and seeking money for it. He now faces 12 felony counts under Wisconsin’s law against posting synthetic intimate depictions of identifiable people.
FOX6 describes the case as one of Wisconsin’s first prosecutions under the charge created by Act 34. Preuss is scheduled for an initial appearance in Kenosha County Circuit Court on December 2, 2026.
According to the criminal complaint described by WISN, Preuss took existing photographs from his ex-girlfriend’s social media accounts. He allegedly used artificial intelligence to turn those photographs into pornographic images and videos.
The complaint also alleges impersonation. FOX6 reports that Preuss created four fake social media accounts pretending to be his ex-girlfriend, beginning in August 2025. Those accounts allegedly posted AI-manipulated images depicting her nude. Posts asked people to send money in exchange for the images, tying the alleged distribution to requests for payment.
A phone number supplied for those payments allegedly belonged to Preuss. Prosecutors said the woman contacted police after learning that people she knew had received the requests. The communications also contained information known only to her and Preuss, according to WISN’s account of the complaint.
LaVoy told FOX6 that public distribution of the photographs was key to the case. The formal charge is “posting a synthetic intimate representation of an identifiable person.” Its wording puts the alleged act of posting at the center of these counts; the complaint’s account of image creation explains how the material was allegedly made.
LaVoy’s comments distinguish two questions: how strong the evidence appears against this defendant, and whether the statute will survive legal scrutiny. His assessment of possible appellate challenges is an attorney’s opinion, not a ruling against Act 34.
The potential penalties are substantial. WISN reports that conviction on all 12 counts could carry a combined maximum of 42 years in prison and up to $120,000 in fines. Those figures describe the maximum exposure across the charges, not a sentence already imposed or a prediction of what punishment Preuss would receive.
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