Camillus basketball coach faces sex-crime charges after AI image report

An Onondaga County basketball coach is facing felony sex-crime charges after detectives say a complaint about AI-generated explicit images led them to a broader case involving a 14-year-old girl and other females he knew.

Chad R. Snow, 42, of Sutton Drive in Camillus, was charged April 16 with promoting a sexual performance by a child, possession of a sexual performance by a child, obscenity and endangering the welfare of a child, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office said. He was booked April 15 and was being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center on $150,000 bond or $25,000 cash.

Investigators said the case began with a citizen complaint about AI-generated pornographic images of females Snow knew. The people depicted, detectives said, ranged in age from 14 to 30. Detectives said they later found the images on Snow’s device, including an AI-generated pornographic image of a 14-year-old girl who was 12 when the source photo was taken.

The case has immediate significance for schools, youth leagues and parents in Onondaga County because it treats synthetic sexual imagery involving minors as a serious criminal matter, not a novelty or internet prank. Snow’s public business, Snow Basketball Arts, has described him as a coach, consultant and trainer for players from youth through college and professional levels, putting the allegations in direct tension with the trust that often comes with youth sports roles.

The charges also reopen scrutiny of Snow’s past. In 2010, when he was 26 and working as a physical education teacher in the Morrisville-Eaton Central School District, he was charged after an allegation involving a 14-year-old girl. That case led to a misdemeanor forcible touching charge and drew local attention because it involved repeated contact over several years, according to contemporaneous reporting.

The new case lands as New York lawmakers have been moving to close gaps in the law around synthetic sexual imagery. The proposed New York AI Child Safety Act would explicitly cover a sexual performance of a child created by digitization and increase penalties, and separate reporting says the state also moved to criminalize pornographic deepfakes of minors in the 2025 state budget.

For families, educators and youth-sports organizations across Camillus and the rest of Onondaga County, the practical lesson is clear: digital complaints can quickly turn into criminal investigations, and any report involving AI-generated sexual imagery, especially when minors may be depicted, should be treated as a matter for law enforcement immediately. The sheriff’s office said anyone with information can call the Criminal Investigation Division at 315-435-3081.