Posted on 08/05/2020 2:12:38 PM PDT by EdnaMode
American Ninja Warrior champ Drew Drechsel has been charged with sex crimes involving a minor, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of New Jersey announced Tuesday.
Drechsel, 31, of Saint Cloud, Florida, was charged with the 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 authorities. He made his initial court appearance Tuesday.
According to the complaint, Drechsel, the 2019 American Ninja Warrior champion (also a "mentor" for multiple seasons on American Ninja Warrior Junior) allegedly sought to have sex with a female minor and traveled to New Jersey to do so. In addition, Drechsel "enticed and coerced a minor to travel to Connecticut to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaged in online sexual communications with a minor and induced her to manufacture sexually explicit images of herself and send them to Drechsel."
Specifically, Drechsel is accused of having a sexual relationship beginning in 2015 with a then-15-year-old girl, which started in in Hamden, Connecticut. The first alleged incident took place in his gym. A number of sexual incidents involving the same victim also allegedly took place in New Jersey over a span of years, according to the complaint. The victim filed a police report in June 2019.
Drechsel's lawyer, Frank J. Riccio II, issued a statement on Twitter. "Mr. Drechsel is presumed innocent of the charges and that presumption will remain throughout the pendency of his case. He intends on entering a 'not guilty' plea."
The use of interstate commerce to entice count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to authorities. The count of enticement to travel for illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and the count of manufacture of child pornography carries a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a maximum fine of $250,000 per count, according to authorities.
NBC said in a statement Wednesday Drechsel had been dropped from the show. “We are shocked and disturbed to learn about the charges alleged against Drew Drechsel," reads the statement. "American Ninja Warrior is a family show that has inspired countless people, and we will not let the actions of one contestant tarnish the hard work and amazing stories of so many. Moving forward, the American Ninja Warrior brand will sever all ties with Mr. Drechsel, including his appearance on future seasons of the show.”
They want a virgin/extremely inexperienced person who won’t be comparing the guy(sexual ability, romance level, size) to anyone else.
I did tread there.
I REALLY wouldn’t recommend it!
Dark forces take over quickly and you are lucky to escape in one piece by the time you find God again.
Have a good night FRiend
He was a very good man. One of the best
This guy’s as bad as Scott Ritter.
Has the season been cancelled? There was an episode at the beginning of July which I missed - it has not been on; I assumed that July episode was a rerun and that there was no new season.
Why?
Dammit to hell, he was my Ninja hero. That is just disappointing and disgusting. I caught him on USA vs The World too, he was so fun to watch. I am just sick now.
An amiable man with good opinions, as I recall. Didn’t spray his posts all over creation...
that’s my job :)
He said in that last conversation “i’m dying”.
Doctors gave up and took him off the antibiotics for sepsis after 3 year battle.
I told him he could still beat it with vitamins and juice....I just wanted to give hope.
But he knew.
He said he was tired and going to sleep.
And that’s the last time he spoke.
We had talked a million times over three years and he wanted to skype and I was going to get a hair cut the next day so i wouldn’t look like a maniac from not getting it cut because of the virus.
It was not to be. Everything has a reason.
I like picturing him how I Want to. A tall, scrappy, strong farmer in his prime.
It makes me feel good and it doesn’t hurt anybody.
I liked Farmer Dean, we had similar taste in firearms.
I see nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Funny how we visualize people we have never met...
I met a lot of Freepers online and got a chance to meet them in person both in my association with the DC Chapter of FR, and I went to the annual Free Republic Convention down in DC some years back!
That was a lot of fun...nobody looked like I thought they would...:)
Which is fine...I loved meeting them all in person for the first time and shaking their hands...
When I read your posts, I visualize Nick Di Paolo! Wearing a black suit with a white open neck shirt made for a big guy...:)
You could do worse, you know!
I don't get it either.
Children. Kids. I.e. Humans not even done growing.
lol
Picture James Spader how he looks now but even fatter!! :)
He LOVED his guns.
HE said way back in the first few days we had a few cases of covid that this was going to be big...whether for health or political reasons..it was going to be huge.
Smart guy.
I’ve NO DOUBT where he ended up.
Not so sure about me! :)
He was tagging the 15 year old before the wife. She isn’t 15 anymore.
Even when I was a teen, full grown women were more appealing to me that girls my age. (Not that I wasn’t interested in girls my age.)
Heh, like the visual!
They just finished taping a short, eight show “team” season. Now they have to go back and edit him out of all of that.
Obviously, NBC is pissed. But the editors must be really pissed at this clown.
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