Indie rock band The New Pornographers have spoken out after their drummer, Joseph Seiders, was charged with possessing child sex abuse images.
The 44-year-old musician was arrested for allegedly filming young boys in a Chick-fil-A bathroom on multiple occasions, according to police. His band mates have released a statement following the arrest, in which they expressed their horror at his alleged crimes.
A spokesman for the New Pornographers said in a statement: “Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders – and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted…”
The spokesman also added that the arrest did not affect the band’s plans moving forward and they will continue with their schedule without Seiders.
The drummer was arrested after an employee at Chick-fil-A reported to the police that a man had been going in and out of the toilets at the restaurant with underage children. This followed an 11-year-old boy reporting two days earlier that he was filmed by a man while using the toilet at the same restaurant, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California.
After police allegedly found evidence linking Seiders to the two incidents as he was taken into custody. Search warrants were issued on April 9 and police went to his home and seized his car and mobile phone.
The sheriff’s department confirmed after the search that Seiders was charged with possession of child sex abuse materials, molesting a child, and invasion of privacy. The drummer has been held behind bars with a $1 million bail set, and will be due again in court on April 22.
Seiders became drummer for the New Pornographers in 2014, after playing with a number of other bands. The authorities have said that they are still investigating whether there are any more victims in the case.
The latest single by the band, called Ballad Of The Last Payphone, was released a week before their drummer’s arrest. Describing the inspiration behind the tune, the band wrote on Instagram: “This song was inspired by a Raymond Carver story called ‘Fat’, and tells the story of a person visiting the last payphone in NYC where it currently sits, in the Museum of the City of New York. The narrator doesn’t know why they are so fascinated by it, but to us it should be obvious. Obvious to me, at least.”
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