Nick Carter, one of the members of the American group Backstreet Boys, was accused Thursday of rape by a former autistic fan, who denounced events dating back to 2001, when she was 17 years old.
Accompanied by her lawyer, Shannon Ruth explained at a press conference in California that she had filed a complaint for a rape committed by the singer on the sidelines of a boy band concert in Tacoma, Washington.
“Although I have autism and live with cerebral palsy, I think nothing has hurt me more in life than what Nick Carter did to me,” denounced this woman, now 39 years old.
Former fan asks for financial compensation
After an autograph request, the star invited her on a tour bus, where he gave her an “odd-tasting” drink billed as “VIP juice,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Boskovich, said.
After she drank the juice, Carter took her to the bus bathroom, told her to get on her knees, removed her genitals, and ordered her to perform sexual acts.
According to the lawyer, the teenager, then a virgin, cried throughout the ordeal and the singer continued his attack. He then “pushed her onto the bed” in the back of the bus “and raped her, despite her protests,” he added. The star, now 42, called her a “retrograde little bitch” that “nobody would believe” if she came forward, according to the lawyer.
Shannon Ruth filed her civil suit in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she and the singer live. She claims financial compensation, the amount of which has not been disclosed. According to her lawyer, the complaint includes statements from three other women, who also accuse the singer of sexual assault. They wish to remain anonymous and have not yet filed an individual complaint.
The singer denies the facts
Nick Carter, whose band produced the songs “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” was previously accused in 2017 of rape by American singer Melissa Schuman.
In this case, Nick Carter has always denied the facts and the Los Angeles prosecutor’s office did not prosecute him because the facts denounced were prescribed.
Contacted by our AFP colleagues, his representatives had not reacted on Thursday afternoon to the new charges against him. The singer did not mention the complaint on social media, where recent posts pay tribute to his brother, who died last month.
“This accusation is completely false,” a member of his entourage assured the people site TMZ. “Nick is focused on his family and grieving for his brother.”
Source: BFM TV
