Pro bowler Brandon Novak ‘faces 15 child pornography charges’ after being arrested mid-tournament and subsequently extradited to Ohio
- Bowler Brandon Novak was arrested this month during the 2024 US Open
- He was transferred this week from an Indianapolis jail to the Ross County Jail in Ohio
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Professional bowler Brandon Novak is reportedly facing 15 child pornography charges after he was arrested midway through the 2024 US Open.
The 35-year-old was extradited from Indianapolis to the Ross County Jail in Ohio, where records show he is being held on suspicion of pandering to sexual battery involving a minor and illegal use of a minor in nude material.
Novak, who was arrested by US Marshals earlier this month while participating in the tournament, is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on March 21. CNN.
a video clip, posted online, purporting to show the moment police detained him mid-match. According to the official tournament rankings, Novak finished 36th and earned $1,500 in winnings.
The Ohio resident was transferred Thursday from the Marion County Jail in Indianapolis to the Ross County Jail in Ohio.
Professional bowler Brandon Novak is reportedly facing 15 child pornography charges
The 35-year-old was extradited from Indianapolis to the Ross County Jail in Ohio earlier this week
Novak was first taken into custody on February 1, but at the time authorities would say only that he was wanted on an arrest warrant stemming from an undisclosed indictment.
Novak had been under investigation by Chillicothe police since February 2023, according to a report obtained by The Columbus Dispatch through an Ohio Public Records Act request.
It stated that a Chillicothe Police Department detective had received a complaint from Facebook about Novak’s account being associated with child sexual abuse material.
According to the report, authorities soon executed a search warrant at Novak’s home and questioned him.
During the interview, Novak said he had purchased pornography from someone through the social media app Snapchat, but initially said he was unaware the videos would contain child sexual abuse material.
He later admitted that he knew he was purchasing child sex abuse material and took steps to conceal it, authorities said.
Novak has been a professional bowler for more than a decade and has won two tournaments, according to his profile on the Professional Bowlers Association website.