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Columbus Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Cyberstalking and AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

James Strahler II, 37, was sentenced in federal court for a campaign of harassment and creation of AI-generated obscene content, marking the first conviction under the Take It Down Act.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 8, 2026, 3:52 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 60 min ago

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We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 8, 2026, 4:09 p.m. ET — checked 60 min ago.

James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, was on September 8, 2026, in U.S. District Court to 180 months in prison for cybercrimes involving real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Strahler pleaded guilty in April to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, and publication of digital forgeries. His conviction for publication of digital forgeries is the first in the nation under the Take It Down Act, a 2025 law prohibiting non-consensual online publication of intimate images and AI forgeries. From December 2024 to June 2025, Strahler harassed at least six adult women, sending nude images and AI-generated pornographic videos, including one depicting a victim with her father, which he distributed to her co-workers. He also threatened victims' mothers and created AI-generated obscene content of minor boys, posting over 700 images 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. U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said, "I'm proud of my Office's prosecution of this case—the first in the Nation under the Take It Down Act." FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie and Hilliard Police Chief Mike Woods also commented on the case. The investigation was first reported to the Hilliard Police Department and Delaware County Sheriff's Office before being referred to the FBI. Strahler was arrested in June 2025.

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