First man convicted under Take It Down Act kept making AI nudes after arrest

An Ohio resident has made history as the first individual to be convicted under the Take It Down Act after admitting guilt to the creation and distribution of explicit images—both real and AI-generated—of at least ten victims without their consent. The 37-year-old, James Strahler II, utilized advanced AI tools to fabricate sexualized images aimed at harassing at least six women he was acquainted with. Disturbingly, some of these images depicted one victim in a sexual scenario with her father, which he shared with her mother and colleagues. Strahler also created explicit and incestuous images that alarmingly placed the faces of minor boys on adult bodies, including those of young boys related to his victims. Authorities discovered that Strahler had installed over 24 AI platforms and more than 100 web-based AI models on his mobile device, enabling him to generate hundreds, if not thousands, of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) featuring both women and children. Court documents reveal that he created these images in an attempt to coerce victims and their families into providing authentic nude images, even resorting to threats of rape and leaving disturbing voicemails. As reported by the Columbus Dispatch, Strahler produced many of these unlawful images of his ex-partners, their families, and friends, intending to intimidate the women into reconciling with him. In a shocking turn, he also uploaded over 700 images, including both real and animated individuals, to a website notorious for child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement found that he had posted NCII of at least one victim and her mother on the site “Motherless,” which encourages users to share legal content. Additionally, Strahler impersonated a victim on a pornographic platform, where he provided AI-generated images and videos to at least one user. On Tuesday, Strahler pleaded guilty to serious charges, including cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, and publishing digital forgeries. He is awaiting sentencing for these crimes, with the Take It Down Act imposing a potential prison sentence of up to two years for publishing NCII involving adults and up to three years for images depicting minors.