Joseph Seiders, the drummer of the independent power-pop group The New Pornographers, was arrested this month in southern California for possession of sexual abuse and other crimes, the authorities said.
Mr. Seiders, 44, was arrested on April 9 after an employee of a Chick-Fil-A restaurant called the police and said that a man entered and left the bathroom with minor boys, according to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff.
Two days earlier, the police were called in the same restaurant after a 11 -year -old boy said that a man recorded him on a mobile phone while he used the bathroom.
After the arrest of Mr. Seiders, searches mandates were issued for his house, vehicle and mobile phone, police said. He was then accused of possession of juvenile pornography, embarrassing / molest of a child, invasion of privacy and attempted invasion of privacy.
Mr. Seiders, whose deposit was set at $ 1 million and remains incarcerated, is due to court next week, according to prison files. It is not clear if he has a lawyer.
“Everyone in the group is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of accusations against Joe Seiders – and we immediately broke all links with him,” a spokesman for new pornographers said on Friday. “Our hearts go to all those who have been affected by its actions.”
The spokesman said there was nothing to report on how the arrest could change the group’s future plans.
Mr. Seiders joined the new pornographers in 2014 – 17 years after the group training – and appeared on recent projects alongside singer and composer Neko Case, guitarist AC Newman and bassist John Collins. Their last song, “Ballad of the Last Pay Phone”, was released this month.
