Police say a suspect pulled photos off social media to build sexually explicit digital images without consent.
VERO BEACH, FL — Authorities arrested a 37-year-old local resident Wednesday after investigators said he harvested photographs from social media to generate and share sexually explicit artificial intelligence images of women without their consent.
Peter Solomon Ruma remains held at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on a $1 million bond following his arrest by Vero Beach police officers. Detectives allege Ruma used altered digital media to target at least one known female victim between June and August 2026, though authorities warned additional women may have been targeted without their knowledge.
Police began examining Ruma after a local woman reported discovering explicit altered depictions of herself circulating online. Investigators obtained search warrants for Ruma’s home and digital devices, where forensic analysts uncovered electronic records linking him to the creation and distribution of the synthetic media. Authorities booked Ruma on eight total counts, including three felony counts of creating altered sexual depictions, three felony counts of promoting altered sexual depictions, one count of sexual cyber-harassment, and one count of cyberstalking.
Detectives said the evidence gathered during the house search suggests the activity extended beyond the single victim named in the charging documents. Investigators indicated that Ruma may have engaged in creating nonconsensual altered images for several years. Police Chief Ana Ruiz commended the initial victim for reporting the incident, noting that forensic specialists continue working through confiscated hard drives and cloud storage accounts to identify other affected individuals who remain unaware that their photos were harvested.
The arrest highlights enforcement under Florida’s statute criminalizing nonconsensual altered sexual depictions, which classifies the creation or promotion of deepfake explicit media as a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison per count. State lawmakers tightened these statutes to grant prosecutors stronger leverage against digital harassment schemes. Court records show Ruma previously served time in the Florida Department of Corrections following a 2009 conviction connected to earlier felony charges in Indian River County.
Ruma is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in Indian River County Circuit Court, where prosecutors are expected to formally present the eight-count indictment. Investigators urged anyone who suspects their personal photographs were misappropriated to contact the Vero Beach Police Department’s detective division, while pointing victims to federal reporting tools designed to remove nonconsensual media from online platforms.
Detective Matakaetis of the Vero Beach Police Department noted that forensic officers are conducting line-by-line analyses of the seized electronic devices. “The courage of the initial victim was crucial in opening this investigation,” Matakaetis said, adding that additional criminal counts may be filed as detectives cross-reference recovered files against social media profiles.
Ruma remains in custody at the county jail pending his next scheduled hearing, while law enforcement officers continue analyzing physical drives recovered during the search.
Author note: Last updated September 4, 2026.