Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has been accused of raping a 17-year-old girl while on tour.
Shannon 'Shay' Ruth, who has ASD and Cerebal Palsy, claims the singer raped her in 2001 when she was 17 years old.
During a press conference that was live-streamed on Facebook, Ruth said that "Nick Carter tried to scare me into silence by saying no one would believe me if I told what happened, he was nasty and threatening saying I would go to jail if I told. He also said he'd turn people against me because he was Nick Carter and he had the power to wreck my life."
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Ruth alleges she was invited to Nick Carter's tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Washington. Ruth maintains she was given a "red-coloured drink" and then brought to the bus bathroom where Carter ordered her to perform oral sex on him. Ruth alleges she cried, but Carter continued to instruct her, taking her to bed and sexually assaulting her.
"The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion frustration, shame, and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me," Ruth is reported saying. The complainant also alleges that she was a virgin at the time of the sexual assault, and contracted HPV from Carter.
The attorney for Nick Carter, Michael Holtz, told TMZ that this accusation is false. "This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue," he says. "Unfortunately, for several years now, Ms. Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick...No one should be fooled by a press stunt orchestrated by an opportunistic lawyer."
This is not the first rape allegation made against the former pop star. In 2017 TMZ also reported Melissa Schuman had accused Carter of raping her in 2002
Nick Carter has never been charged with these alleged crimes.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, you can contact the National Rape Crisis Helpline for free at 1800 778888
