-
Next up in 5
Comeback Comes Up Short as Mitch Keller ROCKED for 5 Runs to Lose Game, Series to Dodgers
-
CHOMP! Florida Wants Jalen Brewster to BOLSTER Top 5 Class | Texas AG Threatens Big 12 Members
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man was found guilty of kidnapping an 11-year-old autistic boy from Marion and taking him back to his Indiana home last year, the county prosecutor said.
According to a release from Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan’s office, a jury found 47-year-old Bradford Deem guilty of kidnapping in the July 10, 2025, incident. The verdict came after a two-day trial, according to court records.
The prosecutor’s office said Deem used a video game console to contact the child and convinced him to leave his home. Deem then drove the boy to his home in Indiana.
The child’s mother discovered he was missing early that morning and called Marion police, the release says. Investigators, with the help of the boy’s brother, determined that Deem had been communicating with the boy through the gaming system and had traveled from Indiana to Marion to take him.
Authorities identified Deem as the suspect and located his home in Indiana. The prosecutor’s office said detectives traced digital communications, reviewed camera footage and coordinated with out-of-state law enforcement to locate and safely recover the child later that same day.
The boy, later identified as Gavin Ostrander, has since been reunited with his family. Grogan’s office said his parents his parents asked the prosecutor’s office to identify and share a photo of their son, hoping that “more people will see the reality of the dangers on online gaming that involves children talking with unknown adults on the internet.”
According to the release, during the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of how Deem used online gaming to target the child and remove him from his Marion home.
“This was a frightening case that could have ended much worse,” Grogan said. “The quick thinking of investigators and their ability to work across state lines allowed us to bring this child home safely. The jury’s verdict holds Deem accountable for his actions.”
Grogan encouraged anyone who suspects a child is in danger or being contacted inappropriately online to contact law enforcement immediately. He also reminded parents to monitor their children’s gaming activity and online interactions.
The Marion Police Department was assisted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fountain County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana, the FBI, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Deem remains in custody as he awaits sentencing, which is set for July 13.
