ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AVC News) — Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch is urging residents to learn about new federal protections aimed at combating the growing problem of non-consensual intimate image sharing, including artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” images and videos.
Welch said the Take It Down Act, signed into law in 2025, creates new criminal penalties for publishing intimate images of another person without consent and requires covered social media and online platforms to remove the content after a valid request from a victim.
Beginning May 19, 2026, online platforms covered by the law must provide victims with a process to request removal of non-consensual intimate images and generally remove the material within 48 hours.
The law applies to authentic intimate photos and videos, as well as AI-generated images, manipulated photographs and deepfakes depicting identifiable people in sexually explicit situations without their permission.
Welch noted that Ohio already has laws that can be used to prosecute offenders. Under Ohio’s telecommunications harassment statute, individuals who use electronic communications, social media or other digital platforms to harass, threaten or intimidate others—including through intimate image distribution or sextortion—may face criminal charges in addition to any applicable federal offenses.
“Technology has created incredible opportunities, but it has also created new ways to victimize people,” Welch said. “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 also compared offenders who blackmail victims by threatening to release intimate images to “digital terrorists,” saying they steal a person’s privacy, dignity and sense of security.
The prosecutor’s office warned that image-based abuse can cause lasting emotional trauma, damage reputations, disrupt employment and education, and create significant financial hardship. Officials said advances in artificial intelligence have made the problem more serious by allowing people to create realistic fake nude or sexually explicit images of individuals who never participated in the acts depicted.
The office is encouraging anyone who believes they have been victimized by revenge pornography, sextortion, unauthorized intimate image sharing or AI-generated deepfakes to preserve evidence, report the incident 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 Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office said it will continue working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate technology-facilitated crimes and hold offenders accountable.
Last Updated on July 20, 2026 by AVC News
