May 13 (UPI) -- Police say three-time NCAA wrestling champion and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder was among 16 caught in an anti-prostitution sting in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.
Snyder, 29, allegedly called and texted an undercover officer, whom he met at a local hotel and was arrested for soliciting sex, WBNS reported.
Columbus police say Snyder exchanged the text messages at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Friday and arrived at the agreed-upon location 20 minutes later.
Snyder allegedly requested oral sex and gave cash to the undercover officer, Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert told The Columbus Dispatch.
Uniformed officers entered the room and arrested him for engaging in prostitution.
The arresting officers released Snyder from the scene after obtaining his information. He has an arraignment hearing scheduled on May 19.
The prostitution sting was done by the Columbus police department's Police and Community Together unit, police spokesperson Caitlyn McIntosh told CBS News.
The unit posted online ads to "solicit others to engage in sexual activity for hire," McIntosh said.
Snyder won three national wrestling titles as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling team while competing as a heavyweight from 2016 through 2018.
He also helped the team with a national title in 2015, was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler during the 2016 NCAA championships and was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
Snyder won the gold medal while competing in the 97 kilograms weight class in the 2016 Rio Olympics, a silver medal during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and finished fourth during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Snyder also is a three-time world champion and the youngest American men's wrestler to win Olympic and world titles. Snyder was 20 when he won the 2016 Gold Medal.
He recently signed with the Real American Freestyle wrestling league and has been practicing for international tournaments with the Penn State University wrestling club.
