BIG WIN: First Criminal Conviction Secured Under Melania Trump’s ‘Take It Down’ Act

First Lady Melania Trump just scored her first criminal conviction under the new ‘Take it Down’ Act — which cracks down on non-consensual “deepfake” porn.

Melania fought hard to get the bill passed, and President Trump signed it into law last year.

Today, an Ohio man plead guilty to charges involving AI-generated sexually explicit images.

FLOTUS released a statement in response to the news:

TAKE IT DOWN ACT: FIRST CONVICTION

Today marks the first conviction under the Take It Down Act – protecting victims from non-consensual AI-generated sexually explicit images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence.

Thank you U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for protecting…

— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 7, 2026

TAKE IT DOWN ACT: FIRST CONVICTION

Today marks the first conviction under the Take It Down Act – protecting victims from non-consensual AI-generated sexually explicit images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence.

Thank you U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for protecting Americans from cybercrimes in this new digital age.

Artificial intelligence is an incredible, powerful new technology that’s revolutionizing many aspects of our society.

It can be used for some truly amazing things, but it can also be used for terrible things — and, frankly, that depends on who wields it.

The man who was convicted today — James Strahler II from Columbus, OH — is an example of AI falling into the wrong hands.

He admitted to using AI to create some absolutely disgusting images and videos of both adults and children he knew performing sick acts.

In some cases, he threatened the victims and tried to use the “deepfakes” to blackmail them.

A DOJ press release has more on the disturbing crimes he committed:

James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today 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. His conviction of publication of digital forgeries is part of the Take It Down Act, a law enacted in 2025 that prohibits non-consensual online publication of intimate visual depictions and AI 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.

For example, Strahler used AI to create pornographic videos depicting at least one adult victim engaged in sex acts with her father. He then distributed those videos to the victim’s co-workers. He also messaged the mothers of the adult females and demanded nude photos of them, threatening to circulate explicit or obscene images he created of their daughters if they did not comply. He often called the victims and left voicemails of him masturbating or threatening rape. He referred to the victims’ specific home addresses in his threats.

Strahler also posted online AI-generated obscenities he created of children. He generated these files using the faces of minor boys from his community. He then morphed the face of the minor boys onto the bodies of other adults or children and created videos that depicted the boys engaged in sex acts. Strahler specifically created AI-generated obscenity of the minor boys having sex with their mothers and/or grandmothers.

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.

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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 at a future hearing.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and officials with the Maryland AI and Synthetic Media Threats Task Force (MASTTF); announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

This Fox News clip dove deeper:

TAKE IT DOWN ACT:
First Conviction pic.twitter.com/ClRnCu6ZUT

— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 8, 2026

Thanks to Melania Trump pushing for new legislation, cyber-criminals like James Strahler II are finally facing real accountability.

During today’s press conference, Karoline Leavitt gave a shout-out to Melania Trump for helping protect victims of these types of cyber-crimes.

Watch:

🚨 JUST IN: In a big win for First Lady Melania Trump, the Take It Down Act just secured its FIRST CRIMINAL CONVICTION

The bill targets non-consensual AI-generated, s*xually explicit images and other content

Great news!

"Today marked the very first conviction under the Take It… pic.twitter.com/LBZyBt7AOd

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 8, 2026

JUST IN: In a big win for First Lady Melania Trump, the Take It Down Act just secured its FIRST CRIMINAL CONVICTION The bill targets non-consensual AI-generated, s*xually explicit images and other content Great news! “Today 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 non-consensual, AI-generated, s*xually 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. So we thank the First Lady for her efforts.”

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