When Mesquite police arrested a man accused of grooming a teenager for sex last week, they discovered something disturbing that they had never seen before: It involved artificial intelligence and revealed ways it can be used for people with bad intentions. 

The case could serve as a warning about what AI can do in the wrong hands.

Authorities say the victim and the accused met through their connections at a Mesquite church. The 16-year-old girl played on a volleyball team coached by the senior pastor's son, Matthan Lough. 

In October, the teenager's mother took her to Mesquite police after finding months of "inappropriate and sexual messages" from Lough on her daughter's phone, according to a police report. 

Detectives say the girl told them the 32-year-old with a wife and three children pressured her into sexual acts in parking lots around Mesquite and Forney. 

Investigators say AI document detailed manipulation tactics  

When authorities arrested Lough, they found he had a digital device with "a note titled, 'Hypothetical Counter-Influence Plan.' It appeared this was an 'AI' generated document." 

The arrest report says the document included five AI-generated steps. The details of this plan included "phases" that are identical to those used by child sex predators. 

1. "Stabilize & Strengthen Her
2. Plant Gentle Doubts
3. Rebuild Her Autonomy
4. Shift the Power Dynamic
5. Let Her Choose"

Experts warn AI in the wrong hands could enable predators 

Timothy Bray is a University of Texas Dallas criminologist who says if Lough used AI technology for help becoming a child predator, so could others. 

"In the very real world, if a person walked up to a psychiatric practitioner or counselor, asked him for the steps, that counselor would be taken aback and wonder what this is all about," said Bray. 

Bray says predators can easily take data, studies, and research designed to help parents protect children from sexual abuse. Information once meant to prevent exploitation can be manipulated to groom and harm victims.  

"Through this new tool, a potential perpetrator has access to these steps and, sort of, a shortcut method," said Bray.

The Christian Center of Mesquite sent a statement that says Lough's father resigned as senior pastor and that "The Church Board is unified in its strongest possible condemnation of the criminal actions that led to this arrest. We note that Mathan Lough was not an employee of CCM."

The police report says the AI plan authorities found Lough's iPad included in-depth details on how to achieve each step in what was titled as an influence plan.