Ohio man first convicted under Take It Down Act for AI-generated intimate images
James Strahler II pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and distribution of AI-generated intimate images without consent, becoming the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act, a 2025 federal law criminalizing non-consensual publication of intimate deepfakes. He targeted at least six women with AI-generated sexually explicit content and threatened to circulate such images to pressure victims and their families.
What happened
James Strahler II, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, and publication of digital forgeries under the Take It Down Act. He sent harassing messages to at least six adult females from December 2025 to June 2025, including both real and AI-generated nude images of them.
Strahler used AI to create pornographic videos showing at least one adult victim engaging in sexual activity with her father and distributed those videos to the victim's co-workers. He sent messages to the mothers of these women demanding nude pictures and threatened to circulate explicit or obscene images he created of their daughters if they did not comply. He called victims and left voicemails of masturbating or threatening rape.
Reported impact
At least six adult females were targeted with AI-generated intimate images sent without consent. One victim had pornographic AI videos depicting her in sexual activity with her father distributed to her co-workers.
Index analysis
Strahler's conviction is the first under the Take It Down Act, a federal statute signed into law in May 2025 that prohibits the non-consensual online publication of intimate visual depictions and AI forgeries. The law requires social media companies and websites to remove violating content within 48 hours following a victim's request.
Governance controls
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio stated, 'We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent.' The conviction demonstrates enforcement of the Take It Down Act.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.