Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Cyberstalking, Sextortion and AI-Generated Abuse

An Ohio man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for cyberstalking multiple victims, committing sextortion and creating sexually explicit images and videos using artificial intelligence.

James Straller II, 37, was arrested on June 23, 2025, after federal authorities charged him with cyberstalking, anonymous communication harassment, and the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. He was also accused of using digital tools to harass and threaten multiple women.

According to court documents, Straller used more than 100 web-based AI models and over 24 AI platforms to create sexually explicit images and videos depicting his victims.

“From December 2024 to June 2025, Straller sent harassing messages to at least six adult female victims,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “These messages included real and AI-generated nude images of the victims.”

Prosecutors said Straller created and uploaded more than 700 images depicting real victims and animated figures to websites associated with child sexual abuse. Investigators also found approximately 2,400 images and videos on his cellphone that were flagged as containing nudity, distorted depictions of child sexual abuse, or violence.

Straller allegedly shared AI-generated pornographic videos with his victims’ co-workers and demanded nude photographs from the mothers of women he was targeting. He also threatened to distribute fabricated obscene material depicting their daughters if they refused to comply.

In addition, Straller left voicemails containing rape threats and victims’ home addresses. He also published AI-generated child sexual abuse material online, according to federal prosecutors.

In April, Straller pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, creating obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, and publishing digital forgeries. His case made him the first defendant convicted under the federal Take It Down Act, according to the Department of Justice.

The Take It Down Act, enacted in 2025, prohibits the online publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated fabrications commonly associated with deepfake pornography and revenge porn.

People targeted by cyberstalking, sextortion or the non-consensual sharing of intimate images can visit the Take It Down platform to learn about reporting options and steps for removing explicit images and videos shared online without consent.

Straller’s sentencing follows several other recent cybercrime cases involving stolen intimate images and online harassment. In March, 22-year-old Jamarcus Mosley pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, extortion and computer fraud after hacking the social media accounts of hundreds of young women.

In July, 26-year-old Kyle Svara was sentenced to 76 months in prison after pleading guilty to hacking the Snapchat accounts of nearly 600 women to steal their private nude photographs.

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