Who is Darrin Bell and what did he do? Charges explored as Pulitzer-winning cartoonist is arrested over abuse material

Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic artist and cartoonist Darrin Bell has been arrested on charges of possessing child p*rnography. As reported by KCRA on Thursday, January 16, 2025, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced that they executed a warrant at Bell's home on Wednesday after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Trigger Warning: The following article contains references to child s*xual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

According to law enforcement authorities, they recovered images and movies depicting child s*x abuse, some of which were AI-generated. In all, cops recovered 134 videos linked to an online account controlled by the cartoonist. Investigators have yet to confirm whether the material was created at home.

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Darrin Bell was the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize for his cartoons in 2019

According to his LinkedIn profile, Darrin Bell studied storyboarding at the Otis School of Art and Design in Los Angeles. He also holds a B.A. in Political Science and Government from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1999.

As per the cartoonist's biography on his website, he began his career creating editorial cartoons for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, and other newspapers in 1995. Some of Bell's best-known works include his comic strips Candorville and Rudy Park. As reported by KCRA, more than 100 newspapers have reportedly run the Candorville comic.

According to his website, Bell is represented by King Features Syndicate, United Talents Agency, Writer's House, and Brightsight Speakers.

Darrin Bell's work has earned him several accolades, including a Pulitzer Prize in 2019, the Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning in 2016, the 2015 RFK Award for Editorial Cartooning, and UC Berkeley's 2015 Daily Californian Alumni of the Year Award.

Bell was the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize for his cartoons. Per its website, his cartoons "took on issues affecting disenfranchised communities, calling out lies, hypocrisy, and fraud in the political turmoil surrounding the Trump administration."

In 2023, Darrin Bell published his graphic novel, The Talk, which focused on his life growing up in Los Angeles.

According to the Pulitzer website, Bell lives with his wife and children in California.

This is the first time Sacramento authorities have arrested and charged someone for AI-generated child abuse material. According to Sgt. Amar Gandh with the County Sheriff's Office, this is because prior to January 1 it wasn't considered illegal.

Per KCRA, California's AB 1831 law went into effect on the date, making "computer-generated and AI-generated child s*xual abuse material illegal." The law essentially equated its possession with that of child p*rnography.

According to the New York Times, Darrin Bell is facing two felony charges related to possession of child s*x abuse material. His bail is set to $1 million.