NEWRK, N.J. (1010 WINS) – A local youth wrestling coach in New Jersey has been arrested and charged with distributing child pornography, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Alec Donovan, 24, a former New Jersey high school wrestling champion who made headlines when he came out as gay, shared and received child pornography via online messaging platforms between January and March of 2021, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.
Donovan, of Brick, also allegedly used messaging platforms to send and solicit nude pictures to minors, prosecutors said.
FBI Special Agent George Crouch, Jr., issued a statement asking people who have had questionable contact with Donovan to get in touch with the agency at NK-Victim-Assistance@FBI.gov.
“We are asking for the public’s attention with respect to this case. Not just as a cautionary tale, but because we think it’s possible that our list of victims is incomplete," Crouch, Jr said.
"Parents should keep in mind that predators lurk in places where they hope to find victims - like online gaming sites and social media,” Crouch continued. “Staying engaged with your children is the best way to thwart the monsters that are hiding in cyberspace, as well as in plain sight.”
Donovan allegedly sent and received a total of five videos depicting child sexual abuse, prosecutors said. In a series of screenshots posted to Reddit last year, Donovan appears to send sexually explicit messages to an underage boy who was asking Donovan for advice about wrestling and college recruiting.
Donovan was arraigned Wednesday and released on $100,000 unsecured bond. He faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Donovan was the subject of national media attention in 2015 when he announced he was gay in an Outsports essay. After graduating high school he went on to become the NCAA’s first openly gay wrestler while attending Centenary University.
In an Outsports article published last year, he spoke of his depression and desire to be a mentor for youth athletes.