Ohio man becomes first in history to be convicted of creating 'sexually explicit images' using AI
An Ohio man named James Strahler II has become the world's first person to be convicted of creating 'sexually explicit images' using AI, pleading guilty to several charges.
The misuse of artificial intelligence to generate inappropriate and non-consensual imagery has been one of the darker stories to surface from the rapid rise of the technology.
Elon Musk's Grok tool has led to a lawsuit after teenagers found it generated sexual images of themselves as children, while a major leak exposed how some erotic chatbot users exploit women's yearbook photographs.
Now, an Ohio man pleaded guilty to a series of cybercrimes involving real and AI-generated sexually explicit images.
Advert
James Strahler II has admitted to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries.
From December 2024 to June 2025, prosecutors claimed Strahler sent harassing messages to at least six adult women, attaching both real and AI-created nude images of them. The 37-year-old also used AI to generate pornographic videos depicting at least one adult victim in sexual scenarios involving a family member before 'distributing the videos to the victim’s co-workers.'
He also reportedly sent messages to the mothers of the victims, demanding nude images of them and 'threatening to circulate explicit or obscene images he created of their daughters if they did not comply.'
According to prosecutors, Strahler 'often' called his victims, leaving voicemails of him 'masturbating or threatening rape.' In addition to the crimes against adult victims, Strahler was also found to have created AI-generated obscene material involving children using the 'faces of minor boys from his community.'
In total, prosecutors said Strahler created more than 700 images of both real victims and animated persons and uploaded them to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse material.
The Department of Justice has confirmed that Strahler is the first person in the US to be convicted under the Take It Down Act, which 'prohibits non-consensual online publication of intimate visual depictions and AI forgeries.' The federal statute was signed into law by President Donald Trump last May, with First Lady Melania Trump symbolically signing it alongside him.
“We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act,” said Dominick Gerace II, US attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicising AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent.”
The law prohibits anyone from knowingly publishing or threatening to publish intimate images, including AI-made deepfake images, without consent. Social media platforms and websites must remove the violating content within 48 hours of a victim making a removal request.
“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,” Gerace added.
If you or someone you know has had an intimate image or video released without their consent, you can visit the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s (CCRI) Safety Center for help deciding what to do. CCRI also has an Image Abuse Helpline at 1-844-878-CCRI (2274).