Janice R. Andrews
Andrew ‘Drew’ Drechsel, a former “American Ninja Warrior” winner, was sentenced to little more than ten years in federal prison for his role in child sex offenses. In August 2020, the 35-year-old television personality, who had won season 11 of the well-known NBC program in 2019, was taken into custody at his Florida home. This came after it was revealed that in 2014, he had gotten into a sexual connection with a young girl he met at an event.
Drechsel’s sentence was announced in a press statement by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey on June 26, 2024. In Camden federal court, Chief U.S. District Judge Renée M. Bumb oversaw the case and imposed a 121-month prison sentence on the defendants for obtaining child pornography and luring a juvenile to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity. On June 1, 2023, Drechsel had already entered a guilty plea to these accusations, admitting his guilt in front of the judge.
Judge Bumb imposed not just the jail term but also a 15-year supervised release period and a $100,000 reparations order on Drechsel in favor of the victim. Originally from Saint Cloud, Florida, the former TV star had resided in Hamden, Connecticut, throughout the time of the charges. His victim lived in New Jersey and was characterized as being between 14 and 15 years old at the time of their sexual interaction.
Disturbing evidence was uncovered during Drechsel’s actions inquiry, including photos of child sexual assault that were discovered on his phone. Prosecutors described how Drechsel met the victim and then took advantage of her by using his reputation in the parkour and “American Ninja Warrior” groups. In order to facilitate sexual intercourse, he pushed the youngster to cross state boundaries in 2015.
In response to questions on Drechsel’s sentence, NBC, the network that produces “American Ninja Warrior,” emphasized their shock and swift cut of ties with him following his original arrest in 2020. They reaffirmed their pledge to uphold the show’s family-friendly reputation and cut any ties to Drechsel in the future.
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