First person convicted under Take It Down Act for creating AI child sexual abuse material

James Strahler becomes the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act — a federal law signed by Trump in February 2026 criminalizing the creation and distribution of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Strahler pleads guilty to federal cyberstalking and production of AI-generated CSAM charges. The Take It Down Act, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, creates criminal penalties of up to 10 years for producing non-consensual deepfake sexual imagery and requires online platforms to remove reported content within 48 hours. The case is the first federal test of the new law's enforcement scope.