A search of Darrin Bell’s residence uncovered both real and computer-generated child pornography. He is currently held on $1 million bail.
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Bell was arrested on January 15, 2025, in Sacramento County, California, on charges of possessing child pornography, including AI-generated material.
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Bell, 49, is renowned for creating the comic strip “Candorville” and for his editorial cartoons featured in prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and the Los Angeles Times.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office reported that a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to an investigation linking Bell to an account that had uploaded 134 pornographic videos. A search of his residence uncovered both real and computer-generated child pornography.
This case marks the first arrest under a new California law, effective January 1, 2025, that criminalizes the possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
Following his arrest, The Washington Post suspended the “Candorville” comic strip, and Bell was also suspended from Counterpoint Media’s daily newsletter.
Darrin Bell is currently held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on January 17, 2025.
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