US Ninja Warrior Drew Drechsel edited out of the show after child sex charges

Drew Drechsel has been cut from Ninja Warrior in the US. Photo / NBC

Last night's Ninja Warrior episode on Three had to be edited after a US contestant was charged with child sex charges.

Drew Drechsel, who competed in Ninja Warrior Australia v The World, was charged with 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, USA Today first reported earlier this month.

Instead of Dreschel's participation in the obstacle courses, New Zealand viewers of Monday's episode were shown a graphic, pointing out the show had been edited. "Due to current legal proceedings in the US, the following program has been edited."

Channel Nine earlier explained the edit to Australian viewers and why it had occurred.
"Due to legal proceedings currently involving one of the members of team USA, Channel Nine has made the decision not to show his run in tonight's episode of Ninja Warrior Australia v The World," a Nine spokesperson told Australian streaming siteTV Black Box.

Here's why there was no Drew Drechsel in last night's episode.

Posted by PerthNow on Wednesday, 19 August 2020

According to US reports, a teenager filed a criminal complaint, alleging she first met Drechsel, 29, in 2014 at an event attended by other American Ninja Warrior contestants. The two exchanged numbers at the event and began texting each other, her complaint said.

During the summer of 2015, Drechsel invited the New Jersey girl, who was 15 at the time, to his gym in Connecticut, where the two had sex, according to the complaint.

The girl's mother confronted Drechsel when she found out, according to the complaint.

The mother told investigators Drechsel did not deny having sex with the teen, but stated "he did not know her age at the time," the complaint said.

But over the next two years, Drechsel and the victim had sex several more times, according to the complaint.

Investigators also claim Drechsel had sexually explicit photos of the teen on an old phone, the complaint said.

Attorney Frank J. Riccio II, who represents Drechsel, said his client planned to plead not guilty.

In September 2019, Drechsel became only the second $1 million winner in the history of American Ninja Warrior. - AP, agencies