Columbus Man First Convicted Under Federal Deepfake Law
A Columbus man pleaded guilty Tuesday to cyberstalking and producing AI-generated sexual abuse material, becoming the first person in the nation convicted under the Take It Down Act, a 2025 federal law targeting non-consensual AI deepfakes.
James Strahler II, 37, used over 100 AI models between December 2024 and June 2025 to harass at least six women and multiple children, according to U.S. District Court records. He created pornographic AI videos of adult victims and distributed them to their coworkers. He also generated explicit images using the faces of local minor boys and posted hundreds of those images to a site dedicated to child sexual abuse.
The FBI, Hilliard Police Department, and Delaware County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Strahler was arrested in June 2025 and now awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said his office will use "every tool at our disposal" to prosecute those using AI to intimidate others. The conviction marks the first test of the Take It Down Act's enforcement in federal court.
For legal professionals, this case establishes precedent for how courts will interpret and apply the 2025 law. Learn more about AI for Legal professionals, or explore the AI Learning Path for Paralegals to understand AI-related crimes and evidence handling.
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