CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Brandon L. Novak, a professional bowler from Ohio, has been extradited back to his home state after being arrested during a game at the U.S. Open tournament in Indiana. Novak is facing multiple charges related to child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Novak faces five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and 10 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. The arrest took place earlier this month, and Novak has been detained at the Ross County Jail in Ohio.
The circumstances surrounding Novak’s arrest gained attention after footage from BowlTV, posted by a YouTube channel called 11thframe, showed his arrest during a game at the 2024 U.S. Open in Indianapolis. Reports indicate that Novak was apprehended by two U.S. Marshals Service agents in the seventh frame of his second game. Although the arrest was not captured on camera, witnesses claim that Novak was handcuffed and escorted out of the facility by the federal agents.
The investigation into Novak began in February 2023 when the Chillicothe Police Department received a tip via Facebook regarding an account linked to him allegedly associated with child sexual abuse material. Subsequently, authorities obtained a search warrant for Novak’s home, where he confessed to purchasing pornography from another user on Snapchat. Novak claimed that he was unaware that some of the videos contained child sexual abuse material, but later admitted to knowingly purchasing and attempting to conceal his involvement in the crime.
Novak is scheduled to appear in court on March 21 for a pretrial hearing. It remains uncertain if a bond amount has been set for his release. Despite his arrest and withdrawal from the U.S. Open competition, Novak managed to finish 36th in the event.