Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch Urges Public Awareness of New Federal Protections Against AI Deepfakes and Intimate Image Abuse
ZANESVILLE, OHIO — The Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office is encouraging residents to become familiar with new federal protections designed to combat one of the fastest-growing forms of online exploitation: the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, including AI-generated "deepfake" images and videos.
The federal Take It Down Act, signed into law in 2025, creates new criminal penalties for individuals who publish intimate images of another person without consent and establishes new requirements for online platforms to remove such content. Beginning May 19, 2026, covered social media and online platforms must provide victims with a process to request removal of non-consensual intimate images and generally must remove the material within 48 hours of a valid request.
The law applies not only to actual photographs and videos, but also to AI-generated images, manipulated photographs, and so-called "deepfakes" that depict identifiable individuals in sexually explicit situations without their consent.
In addition to the federal Take It Down Act, Ohio already has laws that may apply when intimate images, deepfakes, or sexually explicit material are used to harass, threaten, intimidate, or cause emotional distress.
Ohio Revised Code Section 2917.211, Telecommunications Harassment, prohibits individuals from using telecommunications devices, social media, electronic communications, or other digital platforms to abuse, threaten, harass, or repeatedly contact another person in a manner intended to cause distress. Depending on the circumstances, offenders who distribute intimate images, threaten to publish such images, engage in sextortion, or repeatedly target victims online may face prosecution under other existing Ohio laws in addition to any applicable federal offenses.
"Technology has created incredible opportunities, but it has also created new ways to victimize people," said Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch. "No one should have to live with the fear that a private image, or even a completely fabricated AI-generated image, will be used to humiliate, extort, harass, or intimidate them. The Take It Down Act gives victims meaningful tools to fight back and hold offenders accountable."
Welch added “Criminals that blackmail or extort people by threatening to share intimate images are digital terrorists. They are no better than armed robbers, the difference being if someone steals your money it can be replaced, these criminals steal a person’s privacy, dignity, and sense of security.”
The Prosecutor's Office notes that image-based abuse can have devastating real-world consequences. Victims often suffer emotional trauma, damage to their reputations, disruptions to employment and education, and significant financial hardship.
The increase of artificial intelligence has made these crimes even more concerning. Individuals can now create realistic fake nude images or sexually explicit content depicting someone who never participated in the conduct shown. These images can spread rapidly across social media platforms, causing substantial harm before victims even become aware of their existence. The Take It Down Act specifically addresses these digital forgeries and provides legal remedies for victims.
The Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office encourages anyone who believes they have been victimized by the unauthorized distribution of intimate images, revenge pornography, sextortion-related image sharing, or AI-generated deepfakes to preserve evidence, report the conduct to law enforcement, and seek assistance immediately.
"Whether the image is real or artificially created, the damage to the victim can be very real," Welch said. "Parents should also be aware that these technologies are increasingly being used against young people. Education, awareness, and prompt reporting are critical to protecting victims and preventing further harm."
The Prosecutor's Office remains committed to protecting victims of technology-facilitated crimes and working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are held accountable.
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