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COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man is expected to become the first person in the nation to be sentenced under a new federal law for using AI-generated sexually explicit images of women to intimidate and harass women, prosecutors announced.
James Straler, 37, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 7, to charges of cyberstalking, creating obscene images of child sexual abuse material, and publishing a digital fabrication, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. His conviction for publishing digital counterfeits is covered by the Take It Down Act of 2025, which was enacted by federal lawmakers and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Dominic Gerace, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said his office believes Straller is the first person to be convicted under the Take It Down Act. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Straler will be sentenced at a later date.
“We do not condone the abhorrent act of posting and publishing intimate AI-generated images of real individuals without their consent,” Jealous said in a statement. “We are committed to using every tool at our disposal to hold criminals like Straler accountable.”
Prosecutors accused Straler of using AI to create non-consensual images and videos of adult women and minors. Prosecutors say he generated more than 700 images of both real victims and animated figures, and also sent harassing messages to adult victims.
Prosecutors said his criminal activity was first reported to the Hilliard Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office before the case was referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Straler was subsequently arrested on federal charges in June 2025.
Court records: Ohio man creates sexually explicit deepfakes of women and boys
According to court records, Strahler had more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 AI web-based models installed or downloaded on his phone. He used phone calls, messages, and online posts to harass women.
According to court records, from December 2024 to June 2025, Straler sent messages containing both real and AI-generated nude images to at least six adult women, including three ex-girlfriends.
In one instance, Strahler used AI to create a video of one of his victims having sex with her father and sent it to the victim’s co-worker, according to court records. Straler also sent a message to the mothers of the women, requesting nude photos in exchange for not distributing the explicit images he created.
Straler also left voicemails for the victim that included threats of sexual assault and mentioned in specific detail that he knew where the victim lived, court records said.
According to court records, Strahler posted videos online of himself using AI-generated facial images of boys in his community to morph into the bodies of other children or adults. Court records say the videos showed the boys engaging in sex acts with older female relatives.
More than 700 images of real and animated people were created by Strahler and posted on a website dedicated to child sexual abuse material, according to court records. A further 2,400 images and videos found on his phone were flagged as containing nudity, violence and morphed child sexual abuse material.
Mr. Straler was indicted in Franklin County Municipal Court on similar charges in January 2025, and was on pretrial release for those charges when the federal charges were filed in June 2025.
What is the take-it-down method?
Most states have laws protecting people from non-consensual intimate images and sexual deepfakes, but the laws vary in their classification of crimes and penalties. In recent years, victims have struggled to remove images depicting them from websites, increasing the likelihood that the images will continue to be circulated and re-traumatize them.
The Take It Down Act (also known as NCII) criminalizes the publication of intimate images without consent. This includes AI-generated images, also known as deepfake revenge porn. The law also requires social media platforms and similar websites to remove revenge porn content within 48 hours of being notified by the victim.
The bill was introduced in 2024 by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate.
First Lady Melania Trump had pushed for the Take It Down Act, saying it would protect personal privacy through strict ethical standards and strong security measures. In May 2025, the first lady made a rare appearance with the president at the White House and signed the Take It Down Act.
Contributed by Maria Francis, Kinsey Crowley, Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY Network
