An Ohio Man Was the First to Be Convicted Under a Deepfake Abuse Law - A&E
James Strahler II was the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act for creating and distributing deepfake images of multiple women.
- Incident date
- Jan 2025
- Target
- Multiple Women
In early 2025, James Strahler II was charged with misdemeanors for sending deepfake content, but was soon released. After his release, he continued to target women.
What happened
After Strahler continued terrorizing victims, the Take It Down Act was signed into law in May 2025, criminalizing the nonconsensual sharing of sexual images, including deepfakes. He was arrested again in June 2025, and federal authorities took over his case. Strahler pleaded guilty to charges under the Take It Down Act. He could receive up to two years for distributing intimate images of adults without consent and three years for sharing deepfakes of minors. At the time of reporting, he was awaiting sentencing. The case is expected to serve as an example for federal prosecutors navigating similar incidents.