VERO BEACH — A 37-year-old Vero Beach man is being held on $1 million bond after police said he created and shared sexually explicit images of women that were generated with artificial intelligence and made without their consent.
Peter Solomon Ruma was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 2, by Vero Beach police after investigators obtained a search warrant. The investigation began with images tied to one adult victim, police said.
According to investigators, Ruma used photographs taken from social media and other websites to produce the altered images. A search of his home and electronic devices turned up evidence connecting him to the creation and distribution of the images, police said.
He faces eight charges stemming from incidents between June and August 2026:
- (3) counts of creating altered sexual depictions
- (3) counts of promoting those depictions
- (1) count of sexual cyber-harassment
- (1) count of follow-harass cyberstalking
Police said they have identified other possible victims who have not been named publicly and may not know images of them exist. Investigators also believe the conduct may have gone on for years. Additional charges are possible.
Court records show Ruma has a prior criminal history in Indian River County. He was arrested in 2007 on charges that included burglary and sexual battery on a physically impaired person. In 2009, he was arrested on a burglary charge and later sentenced to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted, or who has information about the images, is asked to contact the Vero Beach Police Department at 772-978-4690.
Victims of nonconsensual intimate images can also use the federal reporting site TakeItDown.FTC.gov to request removal from online platforms.
