The 2019 champion of the popular show American Ninja Warrior has been accused of having sex with an underage girl and manufacturing child pornography.
Drew Dreschel, last year’s champion on the popular obstacle course challenge-themed television show, was arrested without incident at his home in Florida on Tuesday. And now, according to the US Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey, he’s facing some serious charges for his alleged actions involving a teenage girl.
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The 31-year-old athlete was officially charged with manufacture of child pornography, enticement of a minor to travel for illicit sexual conduct, travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and use of interstate commerce to entice a minor, according to a press release published by the prosecutor’s office.
All the charges stem from an illicit relationship that allegedly began in 2014, when he met an underage girl from New Jersey at an event involving several other American Ninja Warrior contests when he was then 26 years old. The pair exchanged phone numbers at the event and began texting, which eventually led to Drechsel inviting the girl to his gym in Hamden, Connecticut in July 2015 “as a present for her 15th birthday.”
According to the criminal complaint, Drechsel and the girl exchanged texts about “plans for sexual activity” leading up to her visit. When the girl got to the gym, she and the Ninja Warrior star allegedly had sex “after his girlfriend left, and they were alone.” The girl told her mother about their activities the following day, after which the mom apparently confronted Drechsel only for him to “not deny the sexual activity, but rather stated he did not know her age at the time.”
Apparently unmoved by her age even after the confrontation with the girl’s mother, Drechsel later texted the victim in January 2016, stating he was traveling to New Jersey. There, the pair allegedly set up another meeting to have sex; in all, the girl stated in the criminal complaint that she and Drechsel had sex “several more times” between the time she was 15 and 17 years old. The two also reportedly engaged in sexual interactions over Skype during that time frame, too. Furthermore, investigators found photos and video footage of the girl on Drechsel’s old cell phone, as well.
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Now, Drechsel’s attorney Frank Riccio has released a public statement about the TV competitor’s plans to plead not guilty in the case. Asking that fans and social media users “respect the privacy of Mr. Drechsel and his family,” Riccio put out the message to the world on Tuesday afternoon:
Regarding Drew Dreschel: pic.twitter.com/xthvEOO3Hi
— Frank J. Riccio II (@RiccioLaw) August 4, 2020
Drechsel, a ten-time American Ninja Warrior competitor in his career, does not appear to have publicly commented otherwise. His Instagram account, which boasts nearly 150,000 followers, was made private as of Wednesday. He and girlfriend April Beckner welcomed a son, Korey Kade Drechsel, in December of 2019.
[Image via American Ninja Warrior/YouTube]
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