White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday night announced the first conviction under an Act aiming to protect against nonconsensual AI-generated images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence.
In her remarks, made prior to discussion of the recent ceasefire between the US and Iran, Leavitt said, "I have a quick update from the First Lady of the United States. Yesterday marked the very first conviction under the Take It Down Act, landmark legislation that First Lady Melania Trump played an instrumental role in getting passed that protects victims from nonconsensual, AI-generated, sexually explicit images, cyber-stalking, and threats of violence."
"This is a huge achievement for the First Lady, and I know the President is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America's youth.
"We thank the First Lady for her efforts, and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday."
The groundbreaking case saw James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, plead guilty in a US District Court to cybercrimes that included both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims.
Strahler had installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 AI web-based models on his phone. The defendant used telephone calls, voicemails, text messages and web postings to engage in a campaign of harassment against his victims.
Specifically, Strahler pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries.
“We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act," said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent. And we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to hold accountable offenders like Strahler, who seek to intimidate and harass others by creating and circulating this disturbing content."
From December 2024 until June 2025, Strahler sent harassing messages to at least six adult female victims. These messages included nude images of the victims, both real and AI-generated. He also posted online AI-generated obscenities he created of children. He generated these files using the faces of minor boys from his community.
In total, Strahler created more than 700 images of both real victims and animated persons and posted them to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse. An additional 2,400 images and videos on his phone were flagged as depicting nudity, morphed child sexual abuse material or violence.
Strahler’s criminal conduct was first reported to the Hilliard Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office before being referred to the FBI. He was arrested on federal charges in June 2025. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.