A 21-year-old man in Pennsylvania was arrested after artificial intelligence flagged suspicious online activity, leading police to discover an alleged stash of child sexual abuse material and separate charges involving his dog.
Eric Hoshall was taken into custody at around 6.20am on Wednesday in McSherrystown Borough, Pennsylvania. Officers also detained him on allegations of having oral sex with his dog.
How AI triggered the investigation
The case began when Grok, the artificial intelligence system used on the X social media platform, released information to the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The NCMEC's cybertipline then identified a suspect uploading images that allegedly contained child sexual abuse material.
News site CBS 21 reported that Hoshall told investigating officers he had been viewing this content for many years. When officials searched his phone, they purportedly found videos showing him having oral intercourse with his dog, and Hoshall admitted to police that he engaged in these activities, it is reported.
Charges and court proceedings
Hoshall faces charges of possession of child sexual abuse materials, criminal use of a communication facility, sexual intercourse with an animal and cruelty to animals.
According to ABC27 news, court documents show Grok provided the information that was submitted to the district attorney's office, along with an email address, User IDs and login IP addresses. The information was traced back to Hoshall's Adams County residence, and a search warrant was served on October 28, 2026, identifying him as a suspect.
The district attorney's office said Hoshall admitted to using social media to obtain child sex abuse material and that he had been viewing it for years. Hoshall is currently held at Adams County Adult Correctional Complex, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 4.
