A woman with autism and mild cerebral palsy sued Thursday Nick Cartermember of Backstreet Boys, accusing him of raping her in 2001when he was 17.
Shannon Ruth, now 39, publicly came out at a press conference in San Jose, California, along with her lawyer.
Mark Boskovich, the woman’s attorney, says Ruth met Carter in February 2001 after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Washington, when he approached her for an autograph.
Carter would invite her to join them on a tour bus, where he would treat her to a drink described as “VIP juice”.
“After drinking the juice, Carter took her to the bus bathroom and told her to get on her knees and expose her genitals and order her to perform sexual acts,” Boskovich said.
“She was a virgin and cried during this ordeal, but that didn’t stop it,” the lawyer added. “Afterward, Carter took her to a bed in the back of the bus, pushed and raped her despite her repeated requests to stop (…). She was rude, to say the least.”
“Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I think nothing has affected me more in my life than what Nick Carter has done to me,” said Ruth, who sobbed uncontrollably during the media briefing. .
The woman also said that after the attack Carter called her a “retarded bitch”, as well as leaving bruises on her arm and infecting her with HPV.
Boskovich explained that the statements of three other women, for now anonymous and with similar cases, were included in the civil suit to obtain financial compensation.
Fear of retaliation
The young woman claimed that she had not reported the singer earlier for fear of reprisals. “I hope that by going public today, other women will find the courage to speak up and hold Nick Carter accountable.”
Representatives for the 42-year-old Carter have not yet responded to AFP’s requests for comment on the allegation.
The youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, a pop group that caused a sensation in the 90s, has not spoken on his social networks, in which he has dedicated himself to paying tribute to his younger brother, who died last month.
Source: AFP Agency
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Source: Clarin
