Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar, is the target of a new civil suit filed on Monday in Philadelphia. The lawsuit alleges that its two plaintiffs were sexually abused as minors by Ashton. In addition to Bassnectar himself, the civil suit aims to hold his associated companies and organizations accountable for “engaging in a human trafficking venture” by facilitating the alleged abuses.
According to a press release from Laffey, Bucci & Kent, the Philadelphia law firm that filed the suit alongside Nashville’s Miller Law Offices, “The lawsuit seeks to hold Bassnectar and those corporations that support him responsible for years of grooming, abuse, and trafficking.” Bassnectar is also accused of “manufacturing and possessing child pornography.”
[UPDATE 4/6/21]: Ashton’s attorney Mitchell Schuster has since responded to the lawsuit, denying all of the allegations. “These outrageous claims – which were clearly designed for the media, rather than for the courts – are completely without merit, and we eagerly look forward to proving so,” said Schuster.
The lawsuit stems from allegations that came to light in June of 2020 via the Instagram account @evidenceagainstbassnectar, which began to publicize allegations of various instances of Bassnectar’s improper behavior with minors.
Ashton acknowledged the allegations and announced an indefinite hiatus from his music career on July 3rd. He has not spoken or posted publicly since then. As he noted at that time, “I am stepping back from my career and I am stepping down from my position of power and privilege in this community because I want to take responsibility and accountability. I feel intense compassion for anyone I may have hurt. I truly hope you allow me a chance to work together toward healing.”
“The rumors you are hearing are untrue,” Bassnectar continued, “but I realize some of my past actions have caused pain, and I am deeply sorry. I am handing off our nonprofit Be Interactive to a diverse team to continue without my involvement moving forward. Sometime in the future I may share more thoughts on these matters, but for now, please take care of each other and I wish you all the brightest future.”
As attorney Brian Kent notes in the press release announcing the lawsuit, “We have seen a true reckoning in recent years of powerful individuals and institutions finally being held to account for years of sexual abuse against adults and minors. But we have only begun to scratch the surface of how these influential figures and entities can go on for years committing abuses without being held responsible. This lawsuit is about seeking justice not just against Bassnectar but against the corporations that cooperate in and help facilitate the abuses he is alleged to have committed.”
[H/T EDM.com]
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