First Take It Down Act Conviction: Guy Kept Making AI Nudes Even After Arrest

The first conviction under the Take It Down Act just landed, and the details are as grim as you’d expect. James Strahler II, 37, from Ohio, pleaded guilty to creating and distributing both real and AI-generated explicit images of at least 10 victims without their consent. The worst part? He didn’t stop after getting arrested.

According to the DOJ, Strahler used AI tools to generate fake sexualized images of at least six women he knew personally. One particularly vile example: he generated an image of a victim having sex with her father, then sent it to her mother and co-workers. That’s not just harassment—that’s psychological warfare.

He also used AI to put the faces of minor boys onto adult bodies in explicit and incestuous contexts. Some of those boys were relatives of his victims.

When cops searched his phone, they found over 24 AI platforms and more than 100 web-based AI models installed. He’d used them to create “hundreds, if not thousands” of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) depicting both women and children.

Here’s the part that got my attention: even after his arrest, Strahler kept making AI nudes. The DOJ says he continued creating and sharing these images while out on bond. That’s either pathological compulsion or a serious lack of fear about consequences.

The Take It Down Act, signed into law in 2024, specifically targets the creation and distribution of digital forgeries that depict real people in intimate situations without consent. This case sets a precedent, but it also raises questions about enforcement. If someone can keep generating this stuff after being caught, how effective are current deterrents?

Strahler faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for later this year. I’ll be watching to see if the judge sends a message or goes easy.