Former Ohio State Dive Club coach indicted for sexual abuse of minor

Amanda Parrish
Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:14:35 +0000
Campus, News, dive club, dive club coach, Franklin County Children’s Services, Franklin County prosecutor, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s office, Frankling county, indianapolis federal court, lawsuit, Maryland, ohio state, ohio state dive club coach, Ohio State Police, ohio state university, osu, ron o'brien, USA Diving, Will Bohnonyi

Former Ohio State Diving Club coach Will Bohnonyi was indicted Friday regarding allegations of sexual abuse with a former dive club member. Credit: Lantern file photo

Former Ohio State Diving Club coach Will Bohnonyi was indicted Friday regarding allegations of sexual abuse with a former dive club member.

Bohonyi was indicted on three counts of sexual battery and one count of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor for a total of four charges, according to an announcement on Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s office website.

The indictment alleges that in July of 2014, Bohonyi engaged in a sexual relationship with the minor who was a member of the OSU Diving Club, and later created a video of the misconduct.

“The university has taken the allegation about Will Bohonyi’s conduct seriously from day one,” university spokesman Ben Johnson said in a statement. “We have assisted law enforcement from the beginning and will continue to cooperate and provide any assistance requested by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.”

In July, the former dive club member, who was 16 at the time, filed a lawsuit against Bohonyi, Ohio State and USA Diving, reporting that Bohonyi coerced the minor to engage in sex on campus. It was filed in the Indianapolis federal district court, but the university had been dismissed from the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claimed Ohio State did not notify law enforcement after learning about the incident in July 2014. However, Johnson said the university notified Maryland and Ohio State police, as well as Franklin County Children’s Services and USA Diving after conducting an internal investigation in August 2014.

Ohio State officials said previously that when the university became aware the abuse by Bohonyi, he was placed on administrative leave that same day — Aug. 10, 2014 — and was fired Aug. 29, 2014.

The prosecutor’s office announcement said an arraignment for Bohonyi will be set for a day next week.