First Lady Melania Trump announces first conviction under ‘TAKE IT DOWN Act’

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(L) James Strahler (Photo via: Franklin County Sheriff’s Office) /(R) U.S. first lady Melania Trump on March 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)


First Lady Melania Trump praised a significant milestone in her advocacy for digital safety this week, hailing the first federal conviction under the “TAKE IT DOWN Act.“

The landmark case, involving a disturbed Ohio man who used artificial intelligence (AI) to terrorize his victims, represents the first major enforcement of the 2025 law aimed at eradicating non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and deepfake exploitation.

On Tuesday, James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Ohio to charges including cyberstalking, production of obscene AI visual representations of child sexual abuse, and the “publication of digital forgeries” — the specific legal term for deepfakes established by the new legislation.

He was arrested on federal charges in June 2025.

The First Lady, who made the Take It Down Act a cornerstone of her “Be Best” initiative, expressed her support for the Justice Department’s success in a statement on X.

“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,” Mrs. Trump wrote. “Thank you U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for protecting Americans from cybercrimes in this new digital age.”

Mrs. Trump had personally lobbied for the bill’s passage in 2025, attending roundtables with survivors and joining President Trump in the Rose Garden for the signing ceremony last May.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later reinforced the sentiment during a Wednesday briefing, calling the conviction a “huge achievement” for the First Lady.

 

According to the DOJ, the investigation into Strahler revealed a sophisticated and “abhorrent” campaign of digital harassment.

“We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a release. “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.” 

Investigators Discovered:

  • Massive digital infrastructure: Strahler had over 24 AI platforms and 100 web-based AI models installed on his devices.
  • Victim targeting: He targeted at least six adult women, including former romantic partners, and multiple minors within his local community.
  • Deepfake creation: Strahler produced over 700 AI-generated images, many of which involved “morphing” children’s faces onto adult bodies or creating videos depicting victims in sexual acts with family members to maximize emotional distress.
  • Extortion and threats: Evidence showed he sent these images to victims’ coworkers and families, accompanied by voicemails threatening physical and sexual violence.

The Take It Down Act was signed into law last year — serving as the first comprehensive federal response to the rise of AI-generated “revenge porn.”

TAKE IT DOWN ActWhat Happens
CriminalizationMakes it a federal crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes.
Takedown mandateRequires social media and hosting platforms to remove flagged content within 48 hours of a valid victim request.
PenaltiesViolators face mandatory restitution, fines, and up to 3 years in prison for cases involving minors. (2 years for adults.)
ScopeCovers both “authentic” imagery and “digital forgeries” that are indistinguishable from real photos to a reasonable person.

Strahler is currently awaiting sentencing.

It will reportedly be set by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sarah D. Morrison — based on federal advisory sentencing guidelines, the presentence investigation report (PSR) prepared by probation, victim impact statements, and other statutory factors.

For the First Lady, the announced conviction serves as a validation of her efforts to transform “Be Best” from a series of awareness campaigns into a platform with tangible legal teeth.


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