Melania Trump Celebrates First Conviction Under Her Take It Down Act After Man Pleads Guilty to Haras*ment of at Least 6 Women

The first lady was a vocal advocate for the act, which aims to protect victims of deepfake and revenge pornography

Melania Trump is highlighting a legal milestone following the first conviction under the “Take It Down Act.” The case involves an Ohio man who entered a guilty plea related to harassment allegations.

Last year, the first lady vocally advocated for the act, which aims to protect victims of deepfake and revenge pornography. Signed into law on May 19, 2025, it “prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence.”

On Tuesday, April 7, James Strahler II, a 37-year-old man from Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cybercrimes that included harassment of at least six adult female victims with the use of both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed, “Specifically, Strahler pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries.”

“We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in the release. “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.”

Melania celebrated the conviction in a social media post, writing, “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.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also praised the first lady’s win during her briefing on Wednesday, April 8.

“Yesterday 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,” Leavitt said. “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.”

Advocating for the Take It Down Act was one of Melania’s first public causes following the start of President Trump’s second term. In March 2025, just a few weeks after her husband took office, she attended a roundtable discussion with victims and advocates, as well as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who introduced the bill.

“The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities,” Melania said. “Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people.”

“It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes,” she continued. “This toxic environment can be severely damaging. We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with the support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape.”