Silent Thunander jailed, charged

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Man charged with lewd acts with minor, child pornography possession

By Meghan McCormick

A former University of Oklahoma football player who was part of the 2000 National Championship team has been accused of innapropriately touching a 9-year-old girl and possessing child pornography, according to court records.

Eric S. Thunander, 29, was charged late Tuesday afternoon in Cleveland County District Court with three counts of lewd acts with a child and possession of child pornography, according to court papers. Thunander was arrested and booked into the Cleveland County Detention Center at 5:26 p.m. Tuesday. His bond has been set at $50,000.

Thunander played football at OU from 1999 to 2001. Thunander, who is hearing impaired, authored his autobiography, "Silent Thunder," and has been honored for his life's story.

A probable cause affidavit filed with the charges shows a 9-year-old reported to daycare personnel on Aug. 10 that Thunander touched her inappropriately. Norman police were notified and the girl underwent a forensic interview at the Mary Abbott Children's House.

According to the affidavit, Thunander was interviewed at the Norman Police Department in the presence of a sign language interpreter. Thunander confessed verbally and in writing to the incident that the girl reported. He also told investigators about two more incidents with the same child, according to the affidavit.

On Aug. 13, Neil Hamilton, an investigator with the Cleveland County District Attorney's office, questioned Thunander about possessing child pornography.

"Mr. Thunander admitted that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography using Limewire," Hamilton stated in the affidavit. "Mr. Thunander signed a consent search waiver and gave me his computer so it could be forensically examined."