Professional bowler arrested mid-tournament over alleged child sex abuse images

The bowler allegedly purchased child sexual abuse material over social media platforms

Brandon Novak, 35, faces charges over child sexual abuse material (Ross County Jail)

A professional bowler who was arrested in the middle of a US Open tournament earlier this month has been extradited to Ohio to face charges over child sexual abuse material.

Brandon Novak, 35, was moved to Ross County Jail in Ohio on Thursday after being arrested in Indianapolis. He faces multiple charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, according to jail records.

Court records show he has been given 15 charges in total – five for pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and 10 for illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.

Mr Novak was competing at the 2024 US Open bowling tournament in Indianapolis when he was taken into custody by US Marshals, but at the time, authorities would only say he was wanted on a warrant stemming from a secret indictment, according to The Associated Press.

The bowler had been under investigation by the Chillicothe Police Department since February 2023, per reports obtained through an Ohio Public Records Act request by the Columbus Dispatch.

The report said a detective from the police department received a complaint from Facebook, stating Mr Novak’s account was allegedly associated with child sexual abuse material.

A search warrant was carried out at Mr Novak’s residence, and authorities interviewed him, in which he said he purchased sexual material from someone on Snapchat but initially said he did not know the videos would contain child sexual abuse material, the report said.

The report said, according to the outlet, that later in the interview, Mr Novak admitted that he knew he was purchasing child sexual abuse material and was taking steps to conceal it.

Mr Novak has been a professional bowler for more than a decade and has won two tournaments, his profile said, on the Professional Bowlers Association website reports The Associated Press. The profile now appears to be inaccessible.

Mr Novak has a pre-trial hearing that is scheduled for 21 March. Court records appear to not have listed an attorney for Mr Novak.

The Independent has contacted the Chillicothe Police Department for further information.